Going Home
by Virginia City Scribes
Summary: One by one, the Cartwrights fall prey to the town's Yellow Fever outbreak. As Adam takes care of his ailing father and brother, it's up to Candy and Griff to travel to Billings to retrieve the life-saving medicine. Sacrificing more than just his freedom in his quest, Griff comes face to face with his worst nightmare: the man who had put him behind bars all those years ago.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: **__Welcome, everyone, to another one of Griff's adventures! The __Virginia City Scribes are back and so excited to share this story with you. We hope you will enjoy this tale, which we began writing in 2015. Please note, we did research Yellow Fever and we took the liberty of staying away from some facts for the purpose of creating this scenario. Consider it a "what-if" there had been a cure invented in the era. We can't wait to hear what you all think of this story! __  
_

_Disclaimer: We do not own Bonanza or its affiliates._

_VCS_

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

"And then if you put this finger here and that finger over here," Adam Cartwright instructed as he indicated toward the different guitar frets. "That's what's called a D-chord." The oldest Cartwright son lightly strummed the instrument, producing a perfectly blended sound. He then handed the guitar over to his younger friend and prompted, "Now you try."

Griff King accepted the guitar and awkwardly fiddled with it as it rested on his lap. He ran his hand over the smooth wood and taut strings until he forced his fingers to match Adam's. As the tip of his tongue peeked out of the corner of the twenty-year old's mouth from concentration, he ran his fingers over the strings.

From across the living room Joe Cartwright and Candy Canaday cringed simultaneously at the sour note that filled their ears. Joe lengthened his stride toward the mirror to quickly fix his tie so he could leave the house as soon as possible. Although his date with the new pharmacist's daughter in Carson City was not until later that evening, the chestnut-haired man did not want to be present for this music lesson any longer. He could feel the small, yet persistent headache behind his eyes growing steadily worse since Griff had taken up the guitar as of late. While Joe commended Griff for his newly acquired interest in music, he commended Adam more for willingly enduring the ranch-hand's awful performances.

Griff tried to play the chord again and again. After the fifth attempt, he leaned back in his chair triumphantly. "Like that?" he excitedly asked Adam. "Was that it?"

"Your closest yet," Adam genuinely smiled, figuring that Griff more than made up for his musical talent with his enthusiasm. "And with practice, you'll be playing a song in no time."

"Just as long as he practices in the barn," Candy whispered to Joe. As the foreman took the liberty of straightening Joe's tie, Joe let out a sigh of exasperation and swatted his hand away.

"What'd ya say, Candy?" Griff was too engrossed with the guitar to tear his eyes away from it and look at the tortured expression on his friend's face.

Candy quickly quipped, "Just sayin' goodbye to Joe here."

Adam shot Candy a knowing look, but he did not have the heart to tell Griff what they were all thinking. "I feel like all I'm doing today is saying goodbye," the foreman continued. "What with Hoss and Jamie leaving for that auction in Sacramento and Joe here courtin' every girl from here to Mexico."

"Not _every _girl! Only the pretty ones!" Joe defended. "You're just jealous." He triumphantly placed his hat on his head and turned once more to face the mirror, giving himself one last look. "Besides, Hoss and Jamie will be gone for a long spell. I should be back by tomorrow night at the latest."

Adam carefully corrected Griff's finger position and retorted, "Depending on how long Amelia can stand you."

"Oh, she can stand me," Joe insisted, recoiling as Griff continued to harshly strum another out of tune chord. "I just can't stand _this_ anymore," he muttered under his breath. "Well, I'm off!" Joe bade in a louder voice, striding out the door without a backward glance.

"Say Griff, maybe you oughta go to the Spring Dance this year. You might meet a young lady just like Joe…" Adam began to suggest.

Griff stopped in mid-strum and looked up to meet Adam's gaze. His eyes widened in horror and he became slack-jawed. A blush started to burn its way from his neck to his cheeks. "_Me?_ Ah, no I don't...I can't dance. Besides…" the ranch hand lowered his eyes and mumbled, "Who would wanna dance with an ex-con?"

Candy walked over to his young friend and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, come on, Griff! That's all behind you now. I think it's time you had a little fun around here, hmm?"

"I _am_ having fun here. Right now. See?" said Griff, trying to sound convincing but failing dismally.

"You know what I mean, kid," Candy nudged before the arrival of Ben Cartwright and Sheriff Coffee gave Griff the escape he needed from the subject at hand.

Ben and the Sheriff greeted his eldest son and their two companions heartily.

"Good to see you, Griff," said Roy with a genuine smile. Not a stranger to the ranch hand's background, Roy had seen enough in his time as Sheriff to recognize a criminal when he saw one. Looking into Griff's eyes, he could see the boy was not of the same breed of men he had helped bring to justice. His deputy, Clem Foster, on the other hand, was less trusting of the young ex-convict which often caused some tension to arise between them.

"You too, Roy," Griff politely smiled. As far as lawmen was concerned, he much preferred Roy to Clem. The Sheriff of Virginia City seemed to be the only lawman willing to look past his past record and treat him as a man and friend, rather than a criminal or a liability.

"Say, Roy, why don't you stay for dinner?" Adam invited.

"What a splendid idea, Adam!" Ben agreed. "We have an extra chair tonight seeing that Joe has left for Carson City."

"Wish I could take up on that offer, but I'm here on business, unfortunately," Roy grimaced, retrieving a folded note from his shirt pocket. "I just received a wire today. There's been a rash of stagecoach robberies across the territory, and it's lookin' like the Toliver Gang's responsible." He passed the paper to Ben and allowed him to scan the message himself. "Seems they struck near Virginia City last night and made off with everything that was coming in on the stage."

Candy whistled. "Knowing the Toliver Gang from what I've been hearin', they're probably on their way to Mexico by now. They never stick around long enough to get caught."

"Doesn't mean we can't be on the lookout," Adam interjected. "What'd they steal this time?"

"That stage was carryin' goods. All the merchants in town had orders comin' in and Doc Martin had a whole stock of medicines and supplies," listed Roy. "It's gonna take a long while for these orders to be refilled."

Griff shook his head disgustedly. "Stealin' medicine and flour," he scowled. "Just to sell it for a quick buck? Seems like more work than it's worth."

"That it does," Roy agreed. "But anyway, I've got to get to every ranch in the territory and give everyone a heads up. Supplies and medicine are gonna be short until the next stagecoach coming through. And more importantly, the Tollivers are not as predictable as folks think, which is why they've not been caught or killed yet. Even if they're long gone, it won't hurt to be extra vigilant.," he declared.

"Certainly not," responded Ben. "It's a shame that this is what brought you here, but it's always good to see you, Roy."

"The pleasure's mine, even under the circumstances," the older man smiled as he made his way toward the door. "Besides, I'm sure I'll be seein' all o'ya again in town later this month for the Spring Dance!"

"Oh, well, I… Um…" Griff stuttered, turning beet-red as he searched for the right excuse.

"Yes, you will, Sheriff," Candy declared, ignoring Griff's angered expression. "_All_ of us. Bye now!"

Griff huffed at Candy's promise and returned his attention to the guitar. "Fat chance of that happening," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

_The next day..._

"This is completely un -" Joe's protest was stopped when Ben shoved a thermometer in his mouth. "Necessary," he finished begrudgingly, holding the glass instrument between his teeth. "It's just a cold! I'm fine to work. Completely fine."

"You've got a fever," Ben said, eyeing the rising mercury. "And missing one day won't make this ranch fall apart."

"In fact, it might help productivity," Candy joked. "You had a little too much fun last night with Amelia, huh, Joe?"

"Ha. Ha. Ha," Joe gave a false laugh as he removed the thermometer from his mouth. Indeed, it did indicate that he had a slight fever and truth be told, Joe had a fierce headache since he woke up. "Fine, but just one day," he relented, rubbing his back and settling down in his bed.

Candy jokingly gasped, "Is that all it took to get you to stay in bed? Maybe we should send for Doc Martin."

Ben looked thoughtful, silently considering it, even if Candy's intention was to be facetious. "Couldn't hurt," he observed, raising an eyebrow.

Joe flopped back and pulled the covers over his head. "Good grief," the younger Cartwright son sighed in exasperation.

"Oh, quit whining," Candy winked to Joe. "I'm gonna go let Adam and Griff know we've got to pick up Joe's slack today." Candy expected a witty response from his friend, but he was shocked to find Joe was already asleep. "Whoa. I didn't know he was _that_ sick," he honestly noted.

"Rest is the best thing for him," Ben smiled, although Candy could see it was forced. Both men had a looming feeling about Joe's seemingly innocent illness, but neither voiced their concerns. "But getting the doc out here might be a good idea, too."

"Sure," Candy agreed, his brow arching in worry. "I'll saddle my horse."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to our dear readers who have read, reviewed, and/or alerted our first chapter! We hope you enjoy this next installment of the story and let us know what you think!**

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

When it came to treating his patients, Doc Martin wasted no time in attending to them. He arrived at the Cartwright ranch that evening with his black bag of medical equipment and medicinal supplies.

Ben led the aging doctor up the staircase and into Joe's room where the young man sat propped up against the pillows. After taking Joe's temperature, Paul checked the rest of his vitals.

"So what's the verdict, Doc? Just a good night's rest and some of Hop Sing's herbal teas, right?" Joe croaked. In truth, Joe felt pretty lousy but he figured he'd be good as new after some shut eye or so he was hoping.

"Honestly, I haven't seen you this sick since you were a boy. Have you been resting and eating well?" Doc Martin asked.

"Sure I have. Well, my appetite hasn't been too great the last couple of days," Joe confessed. He shifted to try to get to a more comfortable position but his aching muscles protested causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

"I see. Have you been away from the ranch over the last few days?"

"Yeah, I've been visiting Carson City a couple of times over the last week. in fact I was also there yesterday until this morning. I felt fine the whole time while I was there. Least I thought I was," Joe recounted, rubbing the back of his neck as menories of an enjoyable evening came back to him. Could he have been so precoccupied he didn't realize he was feeling under the weather? He idly wondered.

Ben stood at the foot of the bed trying to get a better look at his son to determine what was ailing him.

"Carson City?" Doc Martin raised an eyebrow as his shoulders dropped. "That certainly narrows it down," he muttered to himself. "Who'd you see there? What did you do?"

"I took a girl to a dance," answered Joe, slightly surprised the doctor would want to know about his personal business. "Her name was Amelia Longhart. I met her the time before that."

Frowning, Doc Martin removed the stethoscope from his ears. "Joe, Carson City is just recovering from a Yellow Jack epidemic," he gravely reported. "Or sometimes it's called Yellow Fever. The city was cleared almost a month ago of any infection, but I see that declaration was premature."

Ben sucked in a sharp breath and waited for the doctor to continue with his diagnosis. A chill swept through his spine.

"Now, it seems we've caught the disease in plenty of time," the white-haired man explained. "But there's a problem. I donated all my supply of the antidote to Carson City nearly six weeks ago. The replacement stock was supposed to be on yesterday's stage but-"

"Roy told us about the robbery," interrupted Ben, before briefly informing Joe of the Toliver Gang's crimes.

"So there's no medicine?" Joe inquired.

"We'll get some, and soon," affirmed the doctor. "Don't you worry, Joe. Now while I fill in your pa about some ways to help you, why don't you get some sleep? You're gonna need your rest."

So many questions swirled around in Joe's exhausted mind. _What's going to happen to me? How sick am I gonna get? Is this fatal? Is anyone else sick? Did I bring an epidemic to Virginia City-and my family?_ Despite his burning questions, the ill Cartwright was only able to offer a small, "Mm'kay," before slipping back to sleep.

* * *

Ben and the doctor made their way downstairs so they could discuss the seriousness of the situation. The ranch owner poured them both a cup of coffee. While Paul Martin was grateful whenever patients offered him food or drinks, he missed the Cartwrights' cook, Hop Sing, who was still on a well-deserved vacation.

"This is serious, Ben," Paul blurted. "And this missing medicine just aggravates the problem. We could have a real epidemic on our hands."

Ben rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "I'd hate to see the people in town in a state of panic if this turns out to just be a false alarm, but I also have a duty to fulfill."

"You're worried people will condemn Joe?" Doc asked thoughtfully.

"I just don't want any fingers pointed at _anybody_. You know how people can be. Paul, I don't want to hide this illness if it turns out to be what you think it is. The people in this town and in Carson City have the right to know if Joe is infected, by whom and if anyone else could be carrying it. We'll need to trace everyone that my boy's been in contact with," said Ben.

Paul nodded with a sigh. "If it is Yellow Fever, we need to hurry and get more of that medicine."

So deep into their conversation the two men were that they failed to notice Adam, Candy and Griff had returned to the main house to anxiously check in on Joe.

"Yellow Fever? Pa, what's goin' on?" Adam interrupted.

Ben and Paul turned to face the three confused younger men standing before them. Each wore an expression of trepidation.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Ben held up a hand to forestall an oncoming barrage of questions he could sense was about to erupt but from the look on Adam's face, he knew he had to be frank. His son knew him too damn well. "Alright. There's a possibility that Joe contracted Yellow Fever while he was in Carson City."

"My God," Candy said under his breath.

"Possibility, but you're not positive, are you, Doc?" Adam questioned.

"He's showing all the early signs. That's all we have to go on for now. I'm sorry I can't tell you anymore at this stage," Paul apologized.

"Well, when will you know for sure? I mean we can't just sit here doin' nothin'!" Griff hastily demanded then feeling guilty for his outburst, he mumbled, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like you were doin' nothin'. I just… I'm sorry."

Paul's lips pulled into a grimace as he explained, "That's okay, Griff, but the important thing for all of us to remember is to stay calm." Griff sullenly bit his lip, accepting Paul's declaration. "But," continued Paul. "This is a dire situation. I'm sure you're all aware of the Toliver Gang's robbery?" The group of men nodded. "That shipment contained a supply of medicine for Yellow Fever. After sending all of ours to Carson City, I'm completely out."

"Well, where can we get more?" Candy quickly inquired.

"The original supplier is in Billings, Montana," Paul answered.

Upon hearing his hometown mentioned, Griff inwardly flinched. After the death of his mother, Griff's life and reputation among the town's folk took a downward spiral. His drunkard step-father had ruthlessly abused his Griff for years. When Griff was fifteen and attempted to defend himself from his father's beatings, Charlie Jensen took advantage of the opportunity and sent the boy to prison under the guise of attempted murder, although the action was truly self-defense. As Griff thought back on his last few agonizing days in Billings, he completely zoned out of the anxiety-ridden conversation between the other men.

"Griff?" Candy's voice snapped Griff back to reality.

"Huh?"

"I said, is that okay with you?" Candy repeated urgently.

"Uhh, yeah," Griff agreed, putting on a look of comprehension. "Sure."

"Then it's settled," Ben concluded. "Why don't you two leave at first light? Doc's going to explain the situation to Roy tonight and he can prepare a letter for Griff so he can legally cross the state line. Once that's in order you can both continue to Billings?"

"Sure," Candy quickly concurred.

"I… Yes," Griff slowly answered as he deciphered Ben's words. A sinking feeling formed in the pit of his stomach when he realized he just agreed to return to his hometown. To combat the nervousness from bubbling up through his being, Griff concentrated on the fact that it had been nearly five years since his last horrible experience there. Lots of things had changed, including Griff. He was older, tougher, stronger, and now that he was paroled into the Cartwrights' custody, he was not alone anymore.

Adam who was sensitive to Griff's change in demeanor, stepped closer to the youth.

"Griff, you don't have to go. I can get one of the hands to take your place on the trip. I would volunteer but with Joe out of action, Pa's gonna need help with tomorrow's payroll and I need to meet with Mr. Galloway's lawyer about that land purchase last month," said Adam.

"No, I'll go," Griff asserted.

Candy felt a twinge of guilt that he had failed to notice his younger friend's apprehension which no doubt had been triggered by the idea of revisiting a place filled with painful memories. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Griff kept his voice steady and avoided looking Candy directly in the eye. "Let's get some rest so we can be up early to get that letter and head on out. The quicker we leave, the faster we can get back."

"You're going to need some money first. Let's go to my office." Ben gave the young ranch hand a weak smile of reassurance. "Griff, why don't you go talk to Lucas about heading out with the both of you? It's a long ride and with the Toliver gang still out there, I'd feel better if there were three of you on the road."

Candy gave Griff a friendly slap on the back before he exited the house. Candy followed Ben to his office, leaving Adam and Doc Martin behind in the room.

"We're going to be in for the long haul," Paul noted dryly. "And if you're going to stay behind, Adam, you'll be susceptible to the disease. You and your Pa." His mouth twitched at the thought of the entire household coming down with the Fever. "Are you sure you're up to it?"

"I know I speak for both Pa and myself when I say yes," Adam proclaimed confidently. Truth be told, his voice betrayed his real feelings. Despite the eldest Cartwright heir's cool disposition, he knew that an epidemic could spell trouble for his family and the rest of the town. "This sickness will be contained here," he vowed.

Paul nodded as he made his way back to Joe's room. He could not help but whispering to himself, "Let's hope so."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to our wonderful readers and reviewers! We are so glad to hear everyone is enjoying the story. We hope this next chapter is to your liking, as well! For the simple answer to an unsigned review's "simple question," Yellow Fever outbreaks were in fact not limited to tropical and subtropical locations such South America and Africa. According to Wikipedia, you'll find Yellow Fever hit New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Memphis, Louisiana, South Carolina, Virginia, and New Orleans in this era. The Yellow Fever scenario in this story is, however, created by our imagination and not based on fact. While we do respect your opinion, please see our author's note at the beginning of Chapter 1 regarding our acknowledgement of our choice to take liberties for the purposes of this story. **

**Thank you!**

**~VCS**

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

After a restless few short hours of sleep riddled with nightmares of his step-father, Griff was woken up Lucas and Candy so they could prepare for their trip. The three headed for the town centre to the sheriff's office to retrieve a letter signed by Sheriff Coffee. Once the document was securely stored in Griff's saddle bag, the friends started their journey to Montana.

By mid afternoon, they had covered good ground, though still a long way from their destination. Candy decided it was a good time to stop for a break and water their horses. "I thought I told you to get some sleep, buddy?" Candy had been studying his companion who had been silent throughout the morning.

"Couldn't sleep," Griff answered curtly as he brushed his mount.

"Nightmares?" Candy prodded.

Griff sighed and hung his head, his back facing Candy.

"Come on, who're you tryin' to fool, huh?" Candy placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder and coaxed him to turn around.

"It's nothin," Griff turned around and shrugged out of his friend's hold.

Candy pursed his lips, clearly not believing the younger man. "It's obviously something. You're looking more haggard than an old nag after working sunup to sundown."

"Gee, thanks," Griff sarcastically retorted, hoping Candy would just drop the subject altogether. "Look, can we just go?" he proposed with a hint of a whine in his tone. " We're losing daylight." Before Candy could make a move to stop him, the parolee shrugged out of Candy's grasp and mounted his trusty black stallion.

"We sure can," Candy relented as he followed suit. "But that doesn't mean we both have to suddenly go mute."

In an effort to prove Candy wrong, Griff remained silent as he absently pet his horse and signalled for the animal to move forward.

"I know you weren't planning on a homecoming so soon…" the foreman began.

"Soon?" Griff scoffed, unable to keep up his vow of silence. "Try never! Don't you know what those people think of me? My trial was the scandal of the decade, and it was in all the papers, not to mention the topic of every gossip's conversation! I can only imagine what Charlie spread around after I was shipped out…" Griff swiped a shaky hand across his forehead. He was surprised to find sweat had formed despite the cool, Fall weather. "They think I'm a murderer. And now I have to face all of them," he panted.

"You don't have t-"

"Yes, I do," Griff insisted adamantly. "This is for Joe. I owe the Cartwrights so much. It's the least I can do."

Candy quickly intervened. "Don't sell yourself short." Although he was proud of Griff for facing his past demons, he was still worried about the possible complications that could very well arise once they arrived in Billings. "I'm sure the Cartwrights realize how hard this is for you, and that they greatly appreciate it."

"Well, until we get back with the medicine in hand, they won't have nothing to appreciate," the taller ranch-hand noted wryly. Candy's words had made him feel better, but a sinking feeling still gnawed at his gut. "Let's get a move on!" he encouraged after pushing the feeling aside and kicking Thunder into a gallop to catch up with Lucas.

* * *

Adam chewed his lip as he went over the lumber estimations for the year. "Seems a little low," he noted to himself and looked over his figures. With a short scoff, he found his computation error and began redoing the math.

"I'm going out to get some colder water," Ben announced as he marched down the stairs. "Joe's fever is rising pretty fast."

Adam frowned at that news. "Hop Sing's teas haven't kicked in yet? I know he's not here to make them, but I was sure that was the exact recipe." When he looked up from his work, Adam could see his father looked older and paler than yesterday.

"Joe can't keep any of them down," he sadly reported, barely slowing down his stride to converse with Adam. "And Doc doesn't want to force anything else on him. Joe needs to save his strength. Vomiting any more in his state would be the worst thing for him."

Swallowing, Adam nodded. "I'll stay with him," he volunteered as Ben exited the house. Sickness was a dangerous game. Although Joe needed to conserve strength to fight the dreaded yellow fever, he also needed nourishment for strength, too.

Joe, looking yellower than corn, gave his brother a small smile when he entered, but Adam could tell with just one look that Joe felt as if there were no reason to smile.

"How are you feeling, little brother?" Adam softly asked in a smooth baritone voice that had comforted Joe over the years.

Joe shrugged his shoulders an inch. "Been better," he weakly responded.

"You've looked better, too," Adam joked as he busied himself with fixing Joe's haphazard sheets.

"Is…" Joe's voice was small, but the seriousness that weighed it down stopped Joe in his tracks. "Is it my fault? If this epidemic spreads..."

"Of course not, Joe." Adam was quick to reassure his ailing brother of his innocence. "This is not your fault. There's nothing you could have done to prevent this and we're doing everything we can to keep it from spreading any farther."

"But I was the one who brought it here!" Joe insisted before a fit of coughing overtook him. "People could die, all because I-"

"Because you what, Joe?" Adam interjected. "Decided to infect yourself with yellow fever or to raid all the medicine from the area? Or both?"

"Well, no, I…" Joe reluctantly admitted.

"Then you need to stop worrying about the possibilities and start worrying about yourself!" Adam ordered with authority. "You're the only one sick so far. We can hardly call this an epidemic."

Just when the words left his mouth, a loud clang and splash rang out from down the stairs. A sinking feeling wormed its way into both Cartwright sons' hearts. Even before Adam rushed out of the room, he knew his father had come down with the dreaded illness, as well. Dr. Paul Martin was only a step behind him.

Once Joe was left alone with this new development, he sank back against the pillow to contemplate what had just happened. In Joe's mind, he had brought a disease that could very much kill his entire family into his home and the self-imposed guilt of that fact nearly crushed him. It was his last conscious thought before slipped back into an exhausted sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much to our readers and reviewers, both signed and unsigned! We appreciate your interest and willingness to follow along with our story. We hope that you enjoy this next chapter. It is a long one!**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

The next day, Candy, Lucas and a better rested Griff made an early start. Having ridden hard the previous day, they camped out under the stars and fell into a dreamless sleep shortly after sunset. They were still only a third of the way to Billings but knew they needed to take it easy on the horses.

"Candy?" Griff started.

"Hmm?" the foreman responded as he waited for his friend to speak his mind.

"You know, as much as I can't wait to be a free man, I don't rightly know what'll do when I'm done with parole. Not like I have me a home to go to," Griff pondered wistfully.

"See, that's where you're wrong. You'll always have a home, Griff. Thought you knew that by now."

"I meant a house I own. Or built with my own bare hands. Not even the clothes on my back are mine." Griff sighed, feeling disappointed in himself.

"I get it, kid. And you'll have a place that you can call your own one day. You just have to be patient and have a little faith. The Cartwrights didn't build their house overnight. The ranch is what it is today because they believed in themselves and they never gave up when things got a little tough," Candy advised.

Griff stared out at the mid-afternoon sun, contemplating what Candy had said to him. "Guess it's up to us to protect it now, huh?"

"That it is," Candy agreed. "I've seen what yellow fever can do," Candy confessed. Surprised by that statement, Griff furrowed his brow in a silent plea for Candy to explain himself. "Years ago. I couldn't've been more than sixteen or seventeen, I'd just left the army and wasn't sure where I was going or when I'd get there. I'll tell you one thing, though, wandering into a quarantined town is a scary thing. It was like I'd finally jumped one fence only to land myself inside another. And on top of that, I didn't know anybody inside that fence and nearly everyone I ran into was sick. Most died," he shuddered. "I was real lucky I never got sick. The doc there said it might be impossible for me to ever get it. He called me a 'carrier.' Said I could pass on yellow fever on, but probably not come down with it myself."

"You believe that?" Griff softly questioned. He hadn't heard of any such medical occurrence.

Candy shrugged. "Don't know, but I never did get sick. When the quarantine was lifted, I hightailed it outta that town so fast, I almost outran my horse."

Griff was about to respond when Lucas who had been riding ahead of them brought his horse between them and urgently whispered,"Psst! Listen! You hear that?" he jerked his head in the direction of where he had heard the noises.

Sure enough the sound of voices and the snort of horses could be heard up ahead by Candy and Griff. "Sounds like we've got company headin' our way," Griff gestured with a nod.

"Until they show themselves, slow down and hang back," Candy instructed cautiously. With Griff still on parole, the boy wasn't armed and Candy didn't want him to be riding up front displaying a belt without a gun attached to it if there was trouble ahead.

Griff did as he was told and slackened his pace. Candy was the closest thing he had to an older brother and he was about the only person Griff would accept an order from without question.

The voices grew louder before four riders emerged from the trees and met the trio on the narrow dirt road.

"Howdy partners. Say, you wouldn't happen to have a spare waterskin would ya? My kid brother here got wolf bit a little ways back there and it's been awhile since we came 'cross a stream in these parts," one of the riders spoke, jerking his head to one side where a much younger rider sat swaying in his saddle with his arm in a sling.

Candy sized up the speaker and took quick furtive glances toward the other three riders. The youngest looked in bad shape but the other two were beginning to flank him and that made him feel uneasy. "As a matter-of-fact I do and you're welcome to it. Looks like your brother could use a doctor too. I can direct you to the nearest town?"

"Much obliged, partner. That's mighty kind of ya. Name's Butch. Kid's Billy and these be my friends, Gabe and Cole," Butch introduced his companions with a sly smile.

Without taking his eyes from the burly stranger, Candy reached behind him and freed a waterskin from his saddle bag. He nudged his horse forward a couple of steps and held the waterskin out in front of him. While he really would have rather not given away his waterskin, they were slightly outnumbered and he hoped that despite the unsettled feeling growing in his gut that his gesture of generosity would guarantee them safe passage.

Butch tipped his hat and clicked his tongue as he inched his mount forward toward the stranger.

"What did you say happened?" Griff asked, suspicious of the four men. The kid did certainly look injured and in need of help, but there were no cuts or scratches marring his form. His shirt wasn't torn up, and his hat was even intact on his head. There was quite a bit of blood on the saddle and smeared around the fair young man, but anyone with a basic understanding of wounds could see the blood was coming from only one wound in his lower back.

"And what's it to ya?" Gabe sneered, letting his hand dangle near his rifle.

"Easy, Gabe," Butch warned. "These people are our friends. It's mighty nice of them to give us water and this boy is just worried about Billy." He turned to Griff. "A puma jumped him last night while we was hunting."

Griff slowly nodded. He was able to make eye contact with Candy and was relieved to see his best friend caught the lie, too. "That's some bad luck," Lucas gave a low whistle, trying to shift the men's attention away from Griff who was looking more and more on edge with each moment that passed. "Didja clean those cuts out yet?"

"Yup," Butch confirmed automatically, passing the water along to his companions. "But I think the infection got to him anyway."

"Then the sooner you get him to a doctor, the better," Candy interjected. He mounted his horse in one fluid motion and motioned for Griff to do the same.

Cole quickly circled his horse around Griff's and pulled his gun. "Change of plans," he announced.

Candy tried to pull his gun while Lucas started to reach for his rifle, but Gabe was quick to spot their movements. "Try it, boys, and I'll put a bullet hole through Curious Carl over here," he threatened menacingly, pointing his gun at the youngest rider.

"The name is Griff King," he seethed. "Griff or Mr. King are the only two names I answer to."

"Griff -" Lucas tried to intervene before his young friend got himself killed but Butch cut him off.

"Shut your mouth!" Butch commanded then drawing a deep breath, he turned his attention back to the youth, "And you, you're lucky you're able to be answering to anything, boy!" He then rifled through the saddlebags slung over Thunder and did the same with Apple. "Hey, looks like we struck the jackpot, gentleman!" He pulled out the letter and money Ben had given to the pair so their business could run smoothly in Billings. "Let's see what we got here," he said, counting the money.

Just then, Billy let out a hacking cough, expelling blood as he did so.

"Billy ain't looking so good," Cole commented.

Slight tremors wracked Billy's frame. "Butch? I… ain't f-feeling too good, either."

Butch's eyes widened and he made a beeline for his brother. "Easy, Billy, breathe easy." He thought fast, trying to maximize the gang's loot. "We gotta move, now."

"I'll take care o' em," Gabe offered, aiming his rifle at Griff's head.

"Wait," Butch ordered. "We only kill on my word, and I ain't given it." He looked back at Candy and tossed the empty canteen on the ground. "These men gave us water, no questions asked. The Tolliver name is a respectable name. Let them live."

"But, Butch-"

"I said, leave them alive, Cole," Butch said. "But make sure they don't follow us."

"Off your horses. We're taking 'em too!" Gabe ordered gruffly, brandishing his rifle threateningly.

Griff ground his teeth together and defiantly stayed in his perch.

Before Candy or Lucas could warn their young friend, the burly cowboy reached up with one hand and grabbed a fistful of Griff's shirt.

Gabe yanked the youth out of the saddle and threw him roughly to the ground.

Griff met the earth with a grunt as the wind was momentarily knocked out of him. He quickly rolled to his feet, breathing hard. He stood between Thunder and the thief, clutching the reins tightly in one hand.

Candy dismounted and held his arms up in the air placatingly. _Don't do anything stupid, kid! _He knew all too well how much the horse meant to Griff but he was not going to let him risk their lives over it. "Griff, let him go."

"I'm not gonna let him take my horse," Griff retorted, not bothering to hide his anger from his voice.

"And we're not gonna ask you again, kid!" Butch warned. He, too, had his gun trained on the young man.

"Damn it, Griff! Just let em have what they want!" Lucas gruffly ordered, having dismounted from his own horse. He started to move toward the ranch hand but Candy gripped the sleeve of his arm and held him at bay. The situation was already escalating and they needed to step back to diffuse it.

A long moment of tension filled silence followed before Griff reluctantly loosened his grip and allowed the reins to slip through his fingers. He looked away, trying to keep his emotions bottled up as they threatened to spill to the surface.

Gabe shoved Griff hard in the chest and sent him sprawling to the dirt once more. He snatched the reins and led a disgruntled Thunder away from his rider. The horse snorted reproachfully but obeyed his new handler with one last look at Griff.

"We got no use for branded horses and we have our own to water. We'll be leavin' yours at the next town. If you're lucky, you'll find them long after we've gone," Butch compromised. He clicked his tongue and motioned for his gang to move along.

Candy and Lucas waited until the riders were out of sight then hurried over to Griff. They each offered a helping hand but their friend sullenly turned away and stood up on his own. He brushed himself off without a word.

"Come on, Griff, don't give me that," Candy remarked.

"Give you what?" Griff shot back.

"The attitude," the foreman supplied with a sigh.

Griff ignored him and kicked the clump of dirt at his feet.

"It could've been worse. We should be thankful they spared our lives!" Lucas added.

"Could have been worse?" Griff scoffed with a shake of his head. "Yeah, they were mighty generous weren't they, Lucas? They took our horses and left us stranded with no food, no water, no money and my only ticket to keep me outta jail! Or have you forgotten that? What am I supposed to do when we get to Billings, huh?" Griff's sarcasm was laced with despair and a growing fear that his freedom was now under threat. Without the letter that Sheriff Coffee had prepared and signed, they had nothing to prove that Griff was authorised to be anywhere but the Ponderosa and Virginia City.

"Alright, that's enough. Come on, we need to work together if we're gonna help the Cartwrights and Virginia City. Griff, we'll get you through this and we'll get you home, I promise, alright?" Candy tried to reason. He understood Griff's worries stemmed from anxiety at literally facing his past, but the foreman was in no mood to quibble over unsolvable problems.

Griff looked out in the direction the Tolliver gang had fled. He rubbed at his aching head, expecting to find a lump from his fall. "So I guess we're walking to the next town?," he hissed under his breath, forcing himself to put one foot in front of the other. There was no lump to be found, so he figured his headache would soon dissipate.

"More like running," Candy corrected. "The slower we are, the more people are gonna get sick."

* * *

"Paul, Paul, he's waking up."

The disembodied voice beckoned Ben from unconsciousness. He slowly opened his eyes and squinted against the light bursting through the windows.

"Pa,are you awake? How are you feeling?" Ben recognized the voice as Adam, but he was confused why Adam was standing over him. The older man concentrated hard to make out what had happened to him.

"Like I've got yellow fever, I suppose," he finally answered.

Paul entered his field of vision. "A spot on diagnosis," the doctor commented.

"It hit me so suddenly. One minute I was up and around, the next minute I…"

"Wasn't," Adam finished. "Don't worry about that now. Paul and I got everything covered. In a few days, you'll be back on your feet."

"Joe?" Ben questioned, presuming correctly that Adam would understand the meaning behind the single word.

Adam pointed to the right and Ben followed his finger with his eyes to see another bed in the room. The two ill men were together. Not only would it make it easier on Joe and Ben, but Paul and Adam would have an easier time tending to them, as well. "His fever's a bit higher, but he's holding his own," the eldest son informed his father. "Just focus on getting yourself healthy, okay, Pa?"

Ben silently nodded. Everything seemed to be under control and he allowed himself a small reprieve to follow Adam's advice and fall back asleep.

Internally, however, Adam was crumbling. He was fretting over his father and brother. Without Candy and Griff's success, he shuddered to think what would happen to his family and Virginia City.

"Adam," Paul summoned. "Would you mind grabbing some more ice? We'll be going through a lot the next few days."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note: **Thank you once again for reading and reviewing. To Kirsten, thank you for your continuous support and to __St. Cyr, thank you for the historical notes - the topic fascinates us also and we hope you will continue to enjoy this story despite the deliberate factual inaccuracies._

_Honu59, thank you for pointing out that typo! We have amended chapter 3 as per your suggestion._

_VCS _

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

Exhausted and in a foul mood, Griff gave Candy and Lucas the silent treatment as they trudged toward the next town. Without horses to ride on, the journey was beginning to feel like an impossible task.

Trying to lighten the mood and brighten his own deflated spirit, Candy started to sing much to Griff's annoyance. Lucas joined in, knowing all the words but none of the notes.

The lanky youth quickened his pace to further distance himself from his irritating friends, but his head was pounding mercilessly. His wrenched his hat off his head, whirled around and threw it as hard as he could in Candy's direction, catching the foreman in the face.

Chuckling, Candy held his arms out. "Hey!"

Griff stepped forward and gave his companion a none too friendly shove in the chest.

Candy's smile faded into a confused frown. "Come on! What's the matter with you?" He reached out to place a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

Without thinking, Griff shrugged away and shot his fist into Candy's face.

Surprised by his young friend's actions, Candy brought a hand up and rubbed his aching jaw. Lucas quickly positioned himself between the other two men. His jaw hung open in shock that Griff would act so aggressively towards Candy, for no reason but a little annoyance.

Though the punch had briefly dazed him, Candy knew Griff had not put his full force behind his fist. In fact, he could already see the guilt in the younger man's eyes.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Candy. I don't know what came over me," Griff dropped his gaze, his shoulders slumped with disappointment in himself. A spell of dizziness washed over him and he swayed on the spot.

Noticing Griff's movement, Lucas grasped him by the shoulders, steadying the youth. He studied Griff's face which had drained of all color. "Griff? You okay?"

"Just...just give me a moment," Griff gasped. He allowed Candy to come over and to help him sink to the ground, propped up against a tree.

Candy placed a hand over Griff's forehead. No fever. He sighed in relief. He was, however, still concerned over his friend's state of health.

Breathing heavily, Griff closed his eyes and waited for the rushing in his ears to abate and the dizziness to pass.

"Are you ill?" Candy asked gently.

Griff shook his head. "No, I'm fine. My head hurts, that's all."

"You probably hit it harder than you thought," Candy suggested. He hoped that his friend didn't have any serious head injuries. That would create more unwanted complications. He cursed their misfortunes and prayed for some luck to come their way.

Lucas stood and announced, "Look, why don't you both rest here a moment? I'll go find some water." He drew out a canteen from the inside pocket of his jacket and left his friends to themselves.

"I'm really sorry," Griff apologized again.

Candy smiled forgivingly. "Don't worry 'bout it. Just take it easy, okay?

Griff nodded and leaned his head back against the bark. He shut his eyes and breathed deeply. It was a simple, easy way to remind himself he was outside in the fresh air. The dizziness dissipated, which relieved Griff. He did not want to waver now. Candy was depending on his help to complete the journey and the rest of his new-found family was counting on him to bring back the medication. "Candy, I know what you're thinking. Now's not the time for me to feel like runnin'," he berated himself, leaning heavily against the tree. "Just gotta keep my head on my shoulders and stay strong. And I'm tryin', I really am."

Candy remained silent. He hated to admit it, but Griff was right. The boy couldn't keep on running from the ghosts of his past.

In the time it took for Griff to boost his spirits, Lucas had returned wearing a smile and waving around a canteen full of water. "There's a river just down yonder," he said, pointing south. "I bet we can follow it to the nearest town, maybe even Billings."

Pushing himself up off the tree, Griff squinted against the glare of the sun. "Then let's get a move on."

To their delight, the two soon found the river. They drank their fill and wet their hair to keep cool.

"We sure are lucky," Griff said, relieved to quench his thirst.

Looking past Griff's shoulder, Candy indicated something was behind him. "And it looks like we're not alone," he said tightly.

Griff twisted his head to see a covered wagon downstream. A bright array of colored material covered the wagon. "I've never seen a settler's wagon so… decorated," he whistled.

"They ain't settlers," Candy corrected. "They're gypsies." He looked around. "But they usually travel in larger groups. I can only see one wagon." Candy's tone was suspicious. "Wonder why."

"That man looks like he's waving at us," Lucas remarked. "You'll get a chance to ask him."

Candy started toward the wagon, but half turned and gestured for Griff and Lucas to stay behind.

Still feeling guilty for the way he behaved earlier, Griff made no attempt to argue and stayed by the river, keeping his eyes on his friend. He knew little about gypsies and after their unpleasant recent encounter with the Toliver gang, he didn't want to let his guard down. Neither of them were armed which made him feel even more uneasy.

When Candy reached the wagon, a man of middle years slowly stepped down from his perch and greeted them wearily, "Hello there, stranger."

"Howdy. You folks in some kind of trouble?" Candy asked in a friendly manner though he allowed his gaze to wander over the wagon for signs of danger.

"Actually, Mister, we're a little lost," the man chuckled tiredly.

Candy thought it a little amusing to hear a gypsy make such a comment. He always assumed they knew the lands better than most since they were always on the move. "Where're you folks headed?" he asked.

"A town large enough to buy us some supplies," the man answered. "Is that your friend over there?" he added, pointing toward the river.

Not comfortable with taking his eyes away from the stranger or the wagon, he gave him a smile. "Yeah, we were just stopping for a drink."

A woman in her thirties suddenly appeared from the back of the wagon, "Jeremiah, why have we stopped?" A small child with pig tails followed her and when her eyes fell on the stranger nearby, she hid part of her face behind her mother's skirt.

Candy felt less nervous seeing the woman and young child. It was unlikely these people were going to give him and his companions any trouble. If anything, the strangers were the ones who had every reason to be suspicious ofthree men. "Ma'am." He tipped his hat and politely greeted the woman then cocked his head to the side and whistled to give the all clear signal to Griff. "Hey, Griff! Lucas! Come on over here!" he called out.

"We oughtta get movin'," the woman nervously pulled at her husband's sleeve and pushed her daughter's curious head further back behind her.

Candy decided the family needed some reassurance that they meant them no harm. "Look, my friends and I were robbed and all we have left is one canteen of water between us and the clothes on our backs. We have to get to Billings to collect some medicine and bring it back home. We have nothing to offer you but if you can take us as far as Billings, I can help you get what you need for your family."

Skeptical, the man named Jeremiah replied, "And how're you gonna do that if you've been robbed? What're you gonna use to pay for that medicine you need?"

"My name's Candy Canaday. I'm a foreman on a ranch called the Ponderosa in Nevada. I work for the Cartwrights. So do my friends, Lucas and Griff. Ben Cartwright's a trusted and respectable man. There's a good chance the folks in town would've heard of him. There's also a chance the men who robbed us have left our horses and documents proving our identities and business somewhere in that town. In fact, we're counting on it," Candy explained. "We're not armed and mean no harm." He held up his arms so the couple could see his holster was empty.

Jeremiah and his wife exchanged looks before nodding at Candy. "Very well, Mister. We'll take you and your friend to Billings."

Griff appeared at Candy's side as the gypsies introduced themselves.

"My name is Jeremiah," the man supplied. "And this is my wife, Maria, and our daughter, Ruby." The woman gave a small, polite bow of her head. The young girl moved to conceal herself even more.

"How do you do?" Griff said. His blue eyes were shining brightly in the sun. He gave a small wave, trying to ease Ruby's obvious anxiety. She was not responsive to his attempt.

Maria swatted her daughter's hands off her skirt and pointed to the wagon. "Ruby, get back into the wagon," she scolded. "This heat is no good for you." The girl quickly obeyed. "I apologize for my daughter. She's… um… Not feeling well."

"It's quite alright," Griff shrugged off. "Is she okay?"

"She will be," Jeremiah said with great conviction. "She will be soon. Now then, we will take you to Billings as soon as our horses are watered. What kind of payment can we expect?"

Candy swallowed. "Well, like I said, we were robbed, so we can't pay you anything right now, but w-"

"We need something in exchange for our service," the man insisted. "This is dangerous territory, after all."

"We're protection for you and your family," Lucas offered smoothy. "And navigators."

"Very well," Maria interjected. She turned to Jeremiah and lowered her voice. "This is not the time. We will accept their help." She smiled at Griff. "With thanks."


	6. Chapter 6

**We thank each and every reader, reviewer, and follower! We hope you enjoy this next installment of the story.**

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

Later that night, an urgent knock on the front door had Adam rush from Joe's room to answer it, hopeful though doubtful that something in the form of a cure for his ailing brother and father had arrived.

"Clem?" Adam greeted, a little puzzled at the grave look on the deputy's face and he gestured for Clem to come in.

"Adam, is Doc here?" asked the deputy as he stepped inside and took off his hat as Adam shut the door.

"What is it? What's goin' on?" Adam pressed.

"It's Roy. He collapsed before he was going to call it a night. Said he was tired. He's running a fever - real high and I can't find the doc anywhere," Clem explained with a sigh.

Adam brushed a hand over his face. "Oh no."

"Adam, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Look, I don't want to jump to any conclusions but it's possible…." Adam continued before he was cut short.

"Whaddya mean? Is it his heart? What?"

"There's a slim chance he may have contracted Yellow Fever."

"Yellow Fever? But how? There's been no one…"

Adam raised a hand to forestall Clem. "Joe came back from Carson City with it a few days ago. Doc's been treating him. Now I'm not sayin' Joe passed the illness to Roy but..."

"Wait hold on a minute. What are ya sayin' here, that Joe brought yellow jack home?" Roy raised his voice.

"Clem, please, just keep it down."

"And what about you?" Clem took a step back from Adam.

"Honestly, I don't know. I feel fine for now but Pa's… Pa's got it, too," Adam tried to reassure the deputy, only to feel his resolve deflating.

"Jesus. So how did Roy get exposed?"

"Pa needed to him to prepare a letter of authority for Griff to go to Billings with Candy to pick up the medicine we need to save Joe and Pa. Like I said, maybe something else is ailing Roy."

"Whatever the case, he needs Doc and I don't know where to look."

"Look upstairs," supplied Adam. "In fact…" He paused to settle his thoughts. "Bring Roy up here, Clem." He started walking towards the door, gesturing for Clem to leave. "It'll be better for the Doc to have all of his patients in one place and we've got the room."

"Adam, do you realize what you're suggesting?" Clem looked hard the Cartwright son. "If you send everyone who is sick here, the Ponderosa will have to be officially quarantined. Only the sick come in, and no one gets out."

A shudder overcame Adam as he listened to Clem's description. It was a risky move; he knew that. If Candy and Griff did not return soon, it would be deadly.

"I know," said Adam. "But it has to happen. We don't have a choice anymore."

Clem mounted his horse and rode away to transport Roy to the Ponderosa. As Adam watched him go, he took another look at the outside of the house. He would not be leaving anytime soon, he sighed inwardly.

When Adam returned to his father's room, he was startled to find Dr. Martin slumped over the chair, his medical instruments scattered on the floor. "Paul!" Adam rushed over to check the older man out. He was dismayed, but not surprised, to hear that Paul was wheezing slightly and taking quick breaths. "Come on," Adam sighed, helping the semi-conscious doctor to a guest bedroom. Adam decided to start fetching more blankets and pillows for makeshift beds. It appeared he was going to need them.

* * *

A shiver came over Griff as he stared at the "Welcome to Billings" sign that swung gently in the wind. The paint was chipping off and fading. To anyone else, the sign looked like it read "come o Bill."

"Home sweet home," he spat, subconsciously inching closer to Candy.

The foreman noticed Griff's dark mood swing, but he knew with Griff's past, it was impossible for the boy not to be affected. Candy was on alert, however, to prevent Griff from doing anything that would stop them from achieving their goal of bringing back the medicine. Drawing the horses to a halt outside of the general store, Candy poked his head through the opening in the canvass behind him and informed Jeremiah and his wife that they had reached their destination. Wanting to make sure that the kind gypsy family was not going to be denied any service, Candy decided to accompany them into the store. Griff reluctantly followed to avoid having to have a conversation with Lucas about his recent outbursts.

A bell tinkled as the door swung open and brought the attention of the store-keeper who eyed his new customers with suspicion. "Can I help ya folks?"

"We're just passing through and needed some supplies," said Candy. He offered his hand and formally introduced himself, hoping to break the ice but the store-keeper, who's name Candy learned to be John Mayfield had no interest in being friendly. His beady little eyes first studied Candy as if he were something he's scraped off the bottom of his boot then he watched the oddly dressed couple who were now picking various items off the shelves. The storekeeper finally rested his gaze on young Ruby.

The small child had found a music box at the counter and had picked it up in her fascination.

"Put that down, child! It ain't a toy!" Mr. Mayfield snapped, causing the girl to jump in fright.

"Hey, there's no need for that. She's just a little girl," Griff defended, staring the portly store keeper in the eye.

He drew himself up and puffed out his chest. "It don't matter to me. She breaks it, you pay for it!"

Griff started to protest when a tight grip on his arm stopped him.

Candy pulled his friend away from the counter. "Why don't you do help Lucas take care of the horses, okay?"

Griff nodded and after one last glare at Mr. Mayfield, he turned away and walked out the door, letting it slam behind him.

Mr. Mayfield shook his head disapprovingly. "That one's trouble, I can see it in his eye. Now, you folks better hurry and get what ya need cause I'm closing up for lunch."

"Griff's nothing of the sort," Candy said. He gave Mr. Mayfield a stoic stare. "And it can't be past ten. You have a habit of eating lunch this early."

"Griff," the storekeeper mumbled to himself, ignoring Candy's insinuation that he had lied. "Griff, Griff, Griff, that name," he paused, "That name is familiar. So is his face." He rubbed at the remnants of a beard on his chin. "Wait a minute. Is that Griff King? I know that boy! He's a criminal!" He banged his fist on the counter.

Ruby jumped at Mr. Mayfield's outburst, and huddled closer to Jeremiah.

"He must've broken out of jail!" He rummaged through the drawer, producing an outdated rifle. "Get the sheriff. I'll see to the boy."

"Whoa, whoa!" Candy yelped, grabbing the gun. "You pull the trigger on that, you'll blow both of our heads off." He made sure the safety was in place. "And Griff is not a wanted man. He's on parole, all legal and lawful. And it's a good thing, too. He never belonged in that prison."

"You didn't see what he did to his father," Mr. Mayfield insisted. "He would've killed that man if people didn't intervene when they did."

Maria quickly took Ruby out of the store, not wanting her daughter to hear such a conversation. Jeremiah listened closer, suddenly even more wary of these two strangers than he had been.

Candy bristled. "And you clearly don't know the whole story, but that's not what I came here to discuss. I came to pick up some medicine and ingredients." He pulled out a list and pushed it towards Mr. Mayfield. "Starting with this medicine."

My. Mayfield did not bother to look down at the paper as he pushed it back to Candy. "Nope," he said. "I don't do business with anyone that hangs around with a would-be murderer. Griff King is a menace. And parole or no parole, he ain't welcome in Billings. I think you and him better move along, and quick."

"There are sick people in Virginia City who depend on this medicine," the foreman argued. "Don't you understand? We might have a Yellow Fever epidemic if we don't come back with it and we've travelled a long way Mister!"

"It'll cost you," Mr. Mayfield relented.

"Fine," accepted Candy quickly, his head bobbing up and down. "Ben Cartwright of the Ponderosa, he sent us here to collect the medicine. He'll pay you what you ask."

"Show me whatcha got," the storekeeper said flatly. "And then I'll name my price."

"Well, I don't have the money right now," Candy explained. "We were bushwhacked and robbed. But I swear, I'll send a wire to Mr. Cartwright and you-"

"Oh, you got no money?" Mr. Mayfield grinned at his finding a viable excuse to refuse business. "I can't sell you nothing. Now, I'm not gonna ask you again." He snatched the gun from an unsuspecting Candy. "Get out of my store."

* * *

Griff self-consciously pulled the brim of his hat down as he walked back to the wagon, trying to avoid anyone recognizing him. As he and Lucas removed the equipment from Jereimiah's horse team, he started to feel queasy and his muscles were beginning to ache. Ignoring his discomforts, Griff was relieved when he saw Candy walking briskly toward him but also concerned when he noticed his friend had left the store empty handed.

"What happened?" Griff asked, stepping away from the wall.

"Mr. Mayfield wasn't very hospitable when he realized I had no money," Candy vented.

"Did you tell him Mr. Cartwright can vouch for us?" Lucas asked.

"Of course but I guess my word wasn't good enough for him." Candy shook his head in dismay. They were a long way from home and Ben Cartwright was depending on them bringing back the medicine they needed. He simply could not face having to return empty handed. There had to be another way.

"Candy, this is non-negotiable," Griff declared. "We can't go back to Virginia City empty handed. We just can't!"

"I know that," Candy sighed.

"People are depending on us," the twenty-year old continued. He let his hand rest on his belt.

"I know that," Candy repeated.

"People are gonna die!" Griff burst. "And we're sitting here stewing about it, doing nothing!"

"I know that, Griff!" Candy finally yelled back, letting his frustration show. "You don't have to remind me. We've got to get this straightened out, and straightened out quick."

Each man was so embroiled in the heated conversation, neither noticed Maria had sidled up to them. "Excuse me," she said firmly. "I don't mean to be rude, but I couldn't help overhearing you because, well, you were yelling." She let her gaze shift to behind Candy's shoulder, watching Ruby as she sat on the curb on the opposite side of the street and coughed. "Are you saying that this illness my daughter has, that she could die from it?"

"Yellow Fever can be fatal," Candy confirmed after a moment. "But we don't know if she has it just yet. Only a doctor can confirm that."

"Yes, a doctor," the mother fretted. "I must get her to the doctor."

"I'll walk over there with you," Candy suggested. "I'd like to talk with him myself." The foreman turned to Griff. "Maybe he can help our cause."

"Talk. More talk," Griff spat. "How many people are gonna die while you talk?"

"At least I'm trying something," Candy shrugged as he walked away. "Stay here, and stay out of trouble."


	7. Chapter 7

**_Author's Note_: **_Tha__nk you everyone once again for reading and reviewing. Here is a shorter installment but we promise we won't keep you waiting too long for the next update._

_VCS_

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

From across the street of the post office, a figure stood watching the exchange between the three outsiders. Something about the taller man and the youngest one was familiar. _No, it can't be. Griff King's serving time in Nevada State Prison. There ain't no way he got out! And he couldn't have escaped. The prison was like a fortress unless…was it possible he had been released? Could he have been paroled?_

It had been a good four or five years, maybe more, since he saw to it that the kid was dragged into jail for nearly killing his stepfather. Back then, Sheriff Monaghan was still a deputy and now he proudly wore the silver badge on his chest. But he wasn't always a lawman. He was once a rancher until cattle rustlers burned down his house with his pregnant wife in it. This tragic chapter of his life turned him into a bitter drunk until his predecessor gave him a choice: either drown himself in a bottle of whiskey or pin on a tin badge and find those responsible for turning his life upside down and bring them to justice. He never did find the men who took away his dearest Sarah but he made a vow that he would not let another criminal get away with their crimes. In the eyes of the law - in _his _eyes - Griff King was another law breaker who lost his rights to walk the streets of this town. _His_ town. Anger replaced his initial reaction of surprise and hands clenched into fists by his sides.

Griff watched Candy disappear with Maria and her daughter as they entered the doctor's office down the road.

Lucas looked up and down the street searching for signs that would lead him to the stables. The Toliver gang had given them their word that they would leave their horses in town but just how good their word was, Lucas was anxious to find out. "Look, I'm gonna see if I can find where they keep horses in this town. Maybe we'll find Thunder, huh?" Lucas suggested, hoping to lighten Griff's mood.

"I'm coming, too! I know where the stables are," Griff perked up.

"Uh, look, you better stay here, keep your head down and wait for Candy. Just point me in the right direction," Lucas disagreed.

Griff sighed heavily and was about to protest but when he remembered that the stables were near the Sheriff's office, he reluctantly agreed. "Alright, fine, I'll wait here." He gave Lucas the direction to the stables then leaned against the wall, crossed his arms and watched his friend go on his way. Letting his blue eyes wander, he caught a man standing across the street staring at him from below the brim of his hat. The rays of the sun glanced off the metal star pinned to his vest. Griff tore his eyes away and decided he needed to be someplace else. Readjusting his hat so that it covered his face a little more, he stepped away from the wall and started walking toward the doctor's office when the doors of the saloon burst open and out tumbled the man that Griff had feared he'd run into again: Charlie Jensen. His stepfather. The man he almost killed and once wished he had.

The drunken man rolled to his hands and knees in the dirt then reached up and grabbed what he assumed was the hitching post, but it was a man's leg. He looked up and met a pair of eyes he would recognize anywhere.

Griff jumped backward as if he were trying to avoid a rattlesnake's strike.

Jensen lost his grip on the young man's trousers and fell face first into the dirt. Spitting and coughing, he scrambled to his feet, only to fall on his backside. "Why you! You...good fer nothin' son of a….what the hell d'ya think yer doin' here huh? This is my town, you hear me! Look at me when I'm talkin' t'ya!" Jensen hollered incoherently from where he fell. "_This is my town!"_

In a state of panic, Griff turned away from his drunken stepfather, only to have his path blocked by the man he'd caught staring at him earlier. "Look, I don't want no trouble," the ranch hand gulped.

Ignoring the young man in front of him, Sheriff Monaghan looked over the kid's shoulder, seeking confirmation. "You know this boy, Charlie?"

"Yeah, I know 'im. He's the one who gave me this scar here, see?" Jensen finally staggered to his feet and pointed at a scar above his brow.

"That so?" Monaghan studied the creature in front of him. He could smell the fear radiating from him and knew he was talking to the right person. A man was only afraid of the law if he'd done something wrong. The only peculiar thing he noticed was that the boy was unarmed and was seen moments before in the company of three other unarmed men, a woman and a child. There was only one explanation for it. The kid was a jailbird and the odd folk he'd seen earlier were harbouring him from the law. It made sense. The boy was running with the gypsies and desperately trying to blend in. "Where're your friends, boy?"

Griff chose that moment to swallow and therefore unable to answer.

Monaghan backhanded the young man, mistaking his lack of response for insolence. "I'll ask ya one last time. Who're ya with?"

The blow caught Griff off guard, and he was spun around by the force behind the Sheriff's hand. He slowly turned back to face the lawman, feeling intimidated and bullied. Just like the days he spent in prison, he thought.

"No answer? Alright, you're comin' with me," Monaghan reached out and grabbed the young man's arm in a tight grip.

Griff struggled to free himself and in his panicked state, his elbow caught the Sheriff in the chest.

Monaghan let out a grunt, surprised by the youth's strength but far from impressed. Maintaining a firm hold of the young man's shirt in one hand, he formed a fist with his right hand and slammed it into the boy's gut.

Griff's struggles diminished when all the air was knocked out of him, but it wasn't until the second blow landed that he dropped to his hands and knees.

Jensen picked up the half empty whiskey bottle from where he had dropped it and took a swig before taking advantage of the situation by driving his boot into Griff's ribs. Pulling his leg back to deliver another round, he was pushed backward by a strong hand.

Monaghan shoved the drunkard away from his prisoner. "That's enough! I know you have a score to settle with 'im but we're gonna do this my way. The right way! Now, go home and sober up. I'll deal with the boy."

The irritable drunk, Jensen, picked up his hat from the ground and trudged off, cursing all the way down the street.

Griff lay coughing on the ground with his arms wrapped around himself, struggling to breathe.

Monaghan stood over the young man with his hands hitched over his belt.

* * *

The doctor's office was stuffy and cramped and there was already a queue of ill and injured people waiting to be tended to. A nurse tried her best to treat those in urgent need of medical attention. Candy decided to help where he could. He was no stranger to farming injuries and was able to help a ranch hand suffering from a broken arm by making a splint. Noises from outside eventually caught Candy's attention and he decided to see what was going on. Besides, he thought, there was little else he could do and nowhere for him to sit so he figured some fresh air was in order.

Stepping out of the stifling office, Candy drew a deep breath of fresh air and started walking toward the Post Office to check on Griff when he saw to his dismay, a small group of onlookers had formed outside the saloon and his friend was lying on the ground. Sprinting over to where Griff lay, Candy saw a man standing over him and nudging him with his boot. _"HEY!_" He shouted.


	8. Chapter 8

**As our reviewers have noted, things are heating up for Griff now! We so appreciate every reader, reviewer and follower of this story. Hoping you all continue to enjoy our tale.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Monaghan looked up and waited for the dark-haired man to reach him. "Ya know the boy?"

"Yeah, I know 'im! What happened?" Candy demanded breathlessly. He crouched down beside Griff who was clearly in some kind of distress.

"Nothing he ain't used ta. He's a jailbird, ain't he?" Monaghan spat.

"What?" stuttered Candy.

"You heard me. And if yer runnin' with him, then you're no better. Now, I'm takin' him in." Monaghan reached down to grab a fistful of the boy's shirt when a hand grasped his wrist.

"What for? Now wait just a - hold on a minute!" Candy straightened up and drew himself to eye level with the town Sheriff. He released his hold on the lawman's wrist and held his hands up in a placating gesture.

"Maybe you oughta come with me too, Mister."

"What for?" Candy said angrily. Taking another deep breath to regain control of his emotions, he continued in a calmer voice, "Whoa! Just let me explain. I'm Candy Canaday. I work on the Ponderosa ranch. I'm a foreman for the Cartwrights. And Griff… Griff is with me. Mr. Ben Cartwright can vouch for him. We got legal papers to prove his rights. Look, we just got here. We're here on business. We've done nothing wrong. None of us are armed."

Monaghan took a moment to process what the foreman was saying. He didn't appear threatening, but he was still suspicious and he sure as hell was not going to let criminals loose in his town, even if they had served their time. "And what business have you got here?"

"We're here for medical supplies and hopefully some help from your doctor but by the looks of things, he's a busy man."

"And the other men I saw you both with?" Monaghan continued his interrogation. "I saw one of 'em run off somewhere."

"Lucas? He's with us. He works for Mr. Cartwright," Candy answered quickly, though he wished he knew where Lucas had gone.

"And what about the other one I saw with the woman and child?"

"We met 'em on the way here after we were robbed," Candy explained. He wished the Sheriff would understand faster so he could help his friend. "I think Jeremiah said something about buying some supplies."

"I guess your papers proving your word were taken too, huh?" Monaghan said sarcastically.

"Yes, they were but if you can just send a telegraph…"

"You've wasted enough of my time. Now, I don't particularly fancy wastin' my energy dragging your friend through the dirt to the jailhouse so why don't ya get him on his feet and maybe, just maybe, I'll send that telegraph for you. Don't hold your breath!"

Candy couldn't think of a way out of their predicament without making things worse. He decided to cooperate in the hopes that he'll be able to convince the knuckle headed fool that they were not up to no good. He knelt down and placed a hand on Griff's shoulder. "You alright, buddy?"

Griff nodded and let out a pain filled groan as Candy helped him to his feet as carefully as he could.

"Charlie… Charlie was here," Griff croaked.

"Your step-father?" Candy asked fiercely, earning a slow nod from Griff. "Did he do this to you?" The question was merely for confirmation, for Candy had a hunch the answer was yes.

"Mh-hmm," Griff confirmed, clutching his ribs. He accepted a proffered hand from Candy and used the foreman to steady himself. With the Sheriff still hovering beside them, Griff decided it was in their best interest for him to not elaborate exactly what transpired. Charlie had already disappeared down an alley and there was no sense in getting Candy riled up against the Sheriff. What chance did they have on their own with nothing to back up their reasons for being in Billings?

"I didn't say you was free to go," Sheriff Monaghan placed a meaty hand against Griff's chest when the two men started to walk away from him.

"Sheriff, I mean no disrespect, but we ain't done nothing wrong. As you can see, neither of us are armed and we're on official business," Candy repeated.

Monaghan took a moment to deliberate before he said gruffly, "Alright. Where are you two stayin' so I can keep an eye on ya?"

"We ain't," Candy replied which seemed to satisfy the Sheriff.

"Go on and get on your way. Don't let me catch a whiff of either of you here come tomorrow." With that, Monaghan crossed the street and headed back to the jailhouse.

"It's a good thing you showed up when you did. That sheriff would have thrown me in jail thrown away the key if he had the chance," Griff said weakly.

"Let's hope we can avoid him while we're here. The faster we can get our hands on that medicine, the faster we can leave. Now, where the hell is Lucas? I thought he was with you?" Candy questioned.

"He went to the stables to find our horses," Griff explained weakly, still trying to catch his breath.

"Well, that'll keep him tied up long enough to go visit the doc, huh?" Candy led Griff to the doctor's office where Maria and Ruby appeared to be next in line.

Ruby had her face buried into Maria's shoulder. Her breathing was audible and rapid.

"Poor little gal," Griff noted. "I sure hope they can fix her up right quick."

"Maria," the nurse called as she stepped into the room. "Please come in. The doctor will see you now." The mother and daughter quickly obeyed, leaving the nurse to deal with Candy and Griff.

She was an elderly woman with thinning brown hair pulled tightly into a bun. She wore thick spectacles that made her beady eyes seem twice as big as a normal person's, and though Griff imagined she knew her way around an injury or illness, her bedside manner was quite lacking.

"Gentlemen," she curtly greeted. "What seems to be the problem today?" She grasped Candy's chin in her hand, twisting his head back and forth. "My my my," she said to Griff. "You friend here doesn't look good at all. So pale."

"I'm not here for _me_. I'm not sick!" Candy growled, waving her hands away from his face. "We're from Virginia City. There's been a small outbreak of Yellow Fever and we were hoping the doctor had the antitoxin for it here so we could take it back."

"Oh," the nurse sighed. "I'll ask Dr. Grandsmithe when he's finished with his current patient."

"Thank you!" Candy replied impatiently.

The nurse was a little taken aback by the gentleman's gruffness, but she waved it off and moved along to greet her next patient who just walked in the door.

Candy guided Griff to a corner which still gave them very little in the way of privacy, but it would have to do. He studied Griff who looked rather pale. "What happened back there?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know," Griff shrugged.

"Did the Sheriff recognize you?"

"No...I don't know," Griff replied with uncertainty. "Charlie came out of nowhere and fell at my feet. Next thing I know the Sheriff was there and he started askin' me questions. Charlie was mouthin' off as usual," he paused taking a deep breath which reminded him of the bruises he now sported. Wincing, his hand instinctively moved to clutch his side.

Candy reached out and grabbed Griff's arm. "Hey, what's the matter? You alright?"

"Y-yeah," Griff said unsteadily. "There's something you oughta know. I might've hit the Sheriff." At Candy's look of disapproval, he quickly added, "It was an accident! I was just tryin to get past him. I didn't..." with a groan, he doubled over and placed a hand on the wall to steady himself. "He punched me in the gut, then Charlie...Charlie gave me one with his boot while I was down."

Candy's concern won over his initial thoughts of reprimanding the young man. He knew Griff well enough to know when he was telling lying and right now, he was telling the truth. When the ranch hand straightened up, Candy lifted the hem of his shirt and let out a curse under his breath. "You better get that checked out while we're here. We got a long ride ahead of us." An ugly bruise was forming on Griff's side.

Griff nodded and sighed when the pain passed. "I'm getting a little tired of people of beatin' on me and judging me. What do I have to do to prove myself to them that I'm not who they think I am?"

Candy could see the hurt in Griff's eye and knew it had nothing to do with any physical pain he was in.

"And don't say that nobody said it wasn't gonna be easy," Griff continued.

Candy opened his mouth to say something but the door to the doctor's office opened and the look on Maria's face distracted him.

"He is poking and prodding at her, asking what hurts, how much. As if the child hasn't gone through enough! Oh, I could barely stand to watch!" Maria fretted. Griff scooted over, giving Maria the option to lean in the corner where he had been. It was the best he could do for her, and Maria thanked him as she took him up on the offer.

"I'm sure the doc is doing all he can to make Ruby better," Griff said. He rubbed at a particularly sore spot on his abdomen and grimaced. "Going to the doc ain't nobody's idea of fun, but I'm always glad I went after I leave the office."

Candy snorted. "Oh do you now?" he teased.

Just then, Dr. Grandsmithe opened the door and stuck his head out. "Maria, you can come back in now," he summoned. "I need to speak with you about your daughter."


	9. Chapter 9

**_Author's Note:_ **_Thank you to our faithful readers - here's a slightly shorter chapter for now. This one's for our Griff H/C fans out there and more to come as we progress in this story. ;-)_

_VCS_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Maria pushed herself up against the wall. Taking care of Ruby on the road had clearly exhausted her and Candy quickly moved to steady her. Maria smiled with her eyes at the two considerate men and invited them into the office.

"Oh, hello, gentlemen," the doctor acknowledged, before locking eyes the woman, unsure of whether she was comfortable with the men joining her and her daughter.

"They are friends of mine," Maria explained.

"Moral support," added Griff. He waved to Ruby. "How you doing, sweet pea?" he winked.

"Okay," Ruby sighed, almost nodding off where she sat.

Dr. Grandsmithe smoothed his mustache with his fingers. "She's a tough one," he cajoled, then turned to Maria. "But she is showing signs of Yellow Fever."

Maria gasped, but schooled her face into one of bravery. "What does that mean?"

Dr. Grandsmithe sighed and hoped what he was about to say would not being taken in a negative way. "It means she'll have to stay here," the doctor declared. "Her infection could make her dangerous to anyone who comes in contact with her. There's a room behind this office." Dr. Grandsmithe pointed across the room. "She'll stay there during treatments and only have limited contact with me or Nurse Jackson."

Maria startled at the plan. "But she is a child!" the desperate mother wailed. "That is no way for a child to live, like a shut-in. I must stay with her, Doctor. Besides, I am not sick and neither is my husband. Maybe the sickness is not so easily spread!"

"I'm sorry, my dear, until we know the exact nature of how this disease is spread, I cannot take the risk…"

"I won't leave her side!" Maria persisted. "Please, Doctor."

Griff and Candy averted their eyes from Dr. Grandsmithe, who was crumbling under Maria's scrutiny.

"It's imperative the disease does not spread..." the doctor weakly said. "But I guess as long as you stay with her, there won't be an outbreak. Besides, a mother's love can speed the healing process like no medicine I've ever encountered," he finally relented.

"Yay, Mama!" Ruby cheered softly. "What about Papa? Can he stay with us, too?"

"No!" Dr. Grandsmithe interjected quickly. "No. No, I must insist that I extend this privilege to you only. I do have an entire town to think about."

Nurse Jackson arrived to escort Ruby and her mother to their room. They waved goodbye to Griff and Candy.

Candy shoved Griff forward in Dr. Grandmsithe's path. "Uhh, Doc I, uh," the young man stuttered. "I was hoping that you might take a look at my side? I, umm, fell." He paused, avoiding Candy's disapproving glare. "And I think I might've cracked a rib."

"Alright, take your shirt off, son, and let's take a look at ya," Dr. Grandsmithe instructed.

Griff obeyed and handed Candy his shirt, feeling a little self-conscious that his new injuries and the scars from past abuse was visible to a complete stranger.

The physician let out a low whistle. "You fell, huh?"

"Off my horse," Griff lied.

Dr. Grandsmithe looked to Candy seeking confirmation. "It would help your friend if I were to know the true nature of his injuries."

"I told you, I..." Griff started impatiently, but Candy held up his hand.

"He got into a bar fight," Candy said in what he hoped was a more convincing tone.

"I see. Well, it appears the fight was rather one sided, wouldn't you agree?" Doc replied, grabbing the young man's wrists and held them up, studying the unscathed knuckles of his hands.

Candy cleared his throat uncomfortably when the physician gave him a suspicious look. It suddenly dawned on him the doctor suspected he was behind Griff's injuries. "Wait a minute. Are you… no, I didn't do this!"

"Hold on! Candy had nothing to do with what happened!" Griff protested heatedly but the physician ignored him.

"I'll not waste my time treating your friend so you can undo my work later on! I've seen it before too many times." Dr. Grandsmithe studied Candy, trying to determine how much of what was coming out of his mouth was the truth.

"I never laid a hand on Griff, but I know who did," said Candy. "And he's no friend of mine!"

"Alright, I'll help your friend," the physician relented, realizing that Candy was at least telling the truth that he had no part in the younger man's injuries.

Candy nodded with a sigh, still feeling rather upset over the doctor's insinuation that he had beat his friend.

Griff did his best to remain stoically still as Dr. Grandsmithe examined his injuries. He was consciously aware of the scars he bore from his previous encounter with his stepfather as well as those left on his body as a result of the injuries he sustained when Issac and his gang had beaten him to near an inch of his life.

"Looks to me like you're no stranger to getting into bar fights," Doc commented.

"I'm a ranch hand. Falling off a horse I'm paid to break's part of the job," Griff said, hoping to put the doctors nosy probing to rest.

"Sure it is. Gettin' shot as well is just part of the job," Doc's eyes had travelled to Griffs shoulder.

"That was an accident," Griff's eyes flashed warning the doctor to drop the subject.

"If you say so. All I can do for you is wrap those ribs. Looks like you may have cracked a couple of 'em. I'll give you some laudanum to numb the pain when it gets bad."

"Laudanum?" Griff's eyes widened in panic. He was instantly reminded of the bad experiences he had with the drug. "I don't want no laudanum."

Griff's plea made Dr. Grandesmithe freeze for a moment. Usually, patients asked for more of the pain medication. He had never come across anyone to outright refuse it. "But it'll take your pain away," he explained, figuring Griff might not be familiar with the chemical.

The injured man refused to listen. "I know what it does," he said quickly, waving his hand away and forcing himself to sit up straighter. "Wrappin' the ribs if fine. Do that and we'll be out of your hair. No laudanum."

"He reacts bad to that stuff." Candy dropped his gaze to avoid any additional questions. "Real bad."

Griff gave a short, definitive nod.

The doctor placed the bottle of pills back on the shelf. "Well, I can't force anything down your throat," he relented. "But I'm going to have to insist you move as little as possible for a couple of weeks."

Gritting his teeth, Griff replied, "I can handle pain. Just go and get it over with."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Dr. Grandesmithe snorted. He was still wary of these two strangers. Between their shoddy excuse for the injury and Griff's cryptic refusal for medication, all the country doctor knew is that he wanted these two men out of his office and his town as soon as possible.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**_ A little reward for our loyal readers - here's a longer chapter for you, full of adventure and drama. Hope you'll enjoy! Thank you for reading and reviewing._

_VCS_

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

Splayed out under a thin sheet, Joe curled his knees into his stomach, shivering uncontrollably. His belly ached, his head pounded, and no matter how he contorted his sore body, he could not find any comfort or warmth from the chills that racked through him.

"Easy, Joe," Adam soothed, wiping a damp cloth over his younger brother's forehead. Just as he predicted, Joe did not heed his word and instead, flinched at the gentle touch.

"C...cold, Adam," Joe stuttered through chattering teeth. "Too...too cold."

"You're chilling," Adam said, utterly heartbroken to look at how much Joe was suffering and not wanting to voice his concerns out loud. _Fever's too high_. "It'll pass."

Joe blinked owlishly at Adam but did not respond.

"Do you understand, Joe?" Adam dipped the cloth in the basin sitting on the nightstand again and placed it on Joe's forehead. He was not sure, but he could have sworn that even though Joe gasped at the sensation, he was making a conscious effort to hold himself still.

"H-how is he?" a grainy voice asked from the bed next to Joe. It required monumental effort for Ben to raise his head an inch off the pillow and turn to steal a worried glance at his youngest son. "Adam?"

Adam turned his head to the side and caught the haunted look in his father's eyes. If it were at all possible, he looked in even worse shape than Joe. Adam swallowed hard before answering, "He's… Candy, Griff and Lucas will be back with the medicine soon and then he'll…"

Ben knew all too well what Adam was doing. He was trying to spare him the strength of worrying for Joe, but he needed to know the truth. He cut Adam short and struggled to sit up but failed. With a weak groan, he collapsed against the pillows. "Please, son, the truth...the truth."

Adam squeezed his eyes shut, threw the damp cloth back into the basin then moved over to kneel beside his father.

"Pa, you need to rest. Save your strength," Adam pleaded, taking his father's hand in his.

Ben shifted to face his eldest and looked him in the eye. "Adam, no lies. Your brother…how bad?"

The rasp that was his father's voice broke Adam's heart. With a sad nod, he resigned himself to the inevitable. He had to tell him. To tell him the truth that Joe was dying. "He's fever is not goin' down. We have to get his fever down."

It took Ben another ounce of strength he couldn't afford to lose to process the severity of his son's condition. He exhaled audibly then drew another agonizingly heavy breath. "Do what you can...for Joseph."

Adam quickly realized just what his father was trying to say. Concentrate on saving Joe if it came down to it. Don't waste time on an old man. Adam didn't know how to respond but he was spared when his father relinquished his hold on his hand and drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

With his newly wrapped ribs, Griff slowly walked alongside Candy and their gypsy companion, Jeremiah. Leading them to the stables to pick up Lucas, Griff's spirits lifted slightly at the sight of Thunder as well as Candy's and Lucas's horses. At least the Toliver gang kept their word, he thought, which meant that they would have the letter vouching for him to be outside of Virginia City. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed when he saw their saddle bags were emptied of their contents including the letter Griff desperately needed. Draping his arms over his saddle and hanging his head low, Griff felt like all hope was lost.

"Griff, we'll think of something!" Lucas tried to console his friend.

Griff looked up and shook his head. "You don't understand, Lucas! None of you do! You've never been in prison like I have! I can't go back, I can't!"

"And you won't, Griff. I promise you. You are not going back to that place. Ever. You hear me?" Candy added. He placed a reassuring hand on the younger man's shoulder and looked him in the eye.

Griff knew Candy meant what he said. He knew his friend would do everything in his power to keep his word, but Griff also knew that it was a promise that Candy may be forced to break or risk his life trying to keep. Still, what more could they do now? They had a mission to complete and when Griff looked from one determined face to the next, he realized that there was more at stake than his own dilemma. Without the medicine that they came to Billings to collect, people could die. People who cared about him and he couldn't let them down. He had to try to believe in what they did and carry on. With a sigh he nodded.

"Alright, let's get to the pharmacy. We're lucky the doc didn't quarantine the lot of us," Candy sighed.

Together, the companions made their way to the pharmacy to try to obtain the medicine again. They secured the horses' reins to the hitching post nearby.

"What will they do to Ruby?" Jeremiah asked forlornly. "How long must I stay away from her?"

"No telling," Candy shrugged. "But you can be sure the doc will do everything he can."

"He seemed decent to me," Griff said, gently rubbing his side. "My ribs are feeling better already."

Candy's eyes narrowed as he glanced in Griff's direction. "Wow. He must be a magician."

"Well, a little," the young man defended.

"But perhaps seeing her Papa would make her feel better, no?" Jeremiah pressed.

"You might get sick," answered Griff. "An' you being sick won't make Ruby feel any better. Or your wife."

The trio continued down the street until they passed a large wagon filled with wooden crates. "Over here," Mr. Mayfield directed. "Put 'em in the back! And be careful not to break them bottles!"

The driver of the wagon nodded to acknowledge the order and quickly began to unload the goods. Griff's eyes widened when the cloth covering a stack of boxes slipped long enough for him to read one of the labels. In bold letters, it read "ANTITOXIN FOR YELLOW FEVER. HANDLE WITH CARE." The wagon driver quickly draped the cloth back over the boxes and looked around suspiciously as if he were afraid of what people might see.

"Look!" Griff pointed at the boxes that were left unattended as the driver entered the pharmacy.

"He's stashing 'em like it's gold," Lucas sneered. "And still won't give us anything, even though an epidemic is breaking out."

"Despicable!" Jeremiah spat. "And they say gypsies are thieves. These people need to take a look at themselves in the mirror before insultin' other folk!"

Lucas's correct conclusion made Griff's blood burn with rage. How could someone who knows what yellow fever could do to a town allow such a crisis to emerge? And all because Mayfield didn't trust Griff due to fraudulent accusations and vengeful lies from years ago.

_No, _Griff vowed silently. _No, he's not gonna get away with it. Joe and the rest of Virginia City are not going to die on account of my damned reputation._

Before his mind had a chance to think of the consequences, Griff's body sprang into action. As the driver strolled back to the wagon, ready to retrieve another box to bring into the store, Griff grabbed Lucas's sidearm out of its holster and shoved him away from the wagon. "Lucas, Candy, get up on that wagon and drive out of here!" he ordered. "Both of you, go!"

Candy's eyes were glued to the barrel of the gun. His lips were parted open slightly as he shook his head. "Griff, have you lost your mind? What are you-"

"Now!" the ex-con ordered, clicking the safety off to seem more menacing. Griff knew he couldn't possibly shoot anyone in cold blood, but he needed to look like he would if the town was to believe Candy an innocent player in the righteous crime.

"You can't take it all!" Jeremiah cried. "My daughter needs that to live!"

"This town's got plenty," Griff reported. "And the pharmacist refused to give us any. People are dying, and this whole town doesn't seem to care! Well, I care!" Griff burst. "I care enough to do whatever it takes to get them that medicine."

"What is this? A robbery? This is medicine, man!" the driver roared in outrage while a few of the townsfolk milled around at a safe distance to watch the scene enfolding.

"You'll get your money for it, I guarantee that. But for now, Virginia City needs that medicine a lot more than your pharmacist needs to make a quick buck!" Griff retorted and took one step closer to the portly driver. "Don't make no move towards that wagon." He waved to Candy to get out of Billings. "Candy! Lucas! Do what I say or else I'll shoot. I swear I'll do it if that's what it takes for you to go."

"You don't know what you're saying, boy! This medicine is not yours to take! I knew you were up to no good from the moment you stepped foot here after all these years!" Mr. Mayfield spat.

A shout calling for the sheriff rang out from across the street.

Griff knew that they were running out of time. Praying for his friends to follow through, his steel blue gaze caught Candy's in his final plight to get his message across.

Candy swallowed hard, realizing Griff had just made the ultimate sacrifice: his freedom for the Cartwrights' lives. He struggled to push away any worries for Griff's future and instead, joined Griff by pointing his own pistol at Mayfield. As long as Griff had put his neck on the line, Candy was not going to let him take the fall alone.

"I'm going," Lucas agreed, locking eyes with Griff. He gave one short nod and hoped that the small gesture would be enough to express his gratitude for the boy's actions while at the same time he prayed that somehow, they would escape punishment.

Griff nodded in return, trying to keep his arm steady. For a split second, Candy could see the fear in his eyes before he trained his own weapon at the few people who gathered to find out what was happening in their town.

After climbing into the driver's seat of the wagon, Lucas flicked his wrists and took off quickly down the road that would lead him out of town.

"If any of you follow him, I'll shoot!" Griff raved, knowing it was a hollow threat but counting on it to buy Lucas enough time to get as far away from the town as possible.

Time ticked by in slow motion before Sheriff Monaghan came running through the confused onlookers, armed and angry.

"You best put down that gun- _King_?" the sheriff gaped. "And King's friend. Just couldn't help yourself, could ya? I shoulda locked you up when I had the chance, both of you!"

Griff looked past the sheriff's shoulder, making sure that Lucas was well out of sight and had a far enough lead to make it to Virginia City. Confident that his friend would succeed in his journey to deliver the life-saving medicine, Griff lowered his arm, ready to surrender. Candy mirrored his actions, feeling like this was the worst plan in history but acknowledging the desperation of the situation called for desperate measures and he couldn't find it within himself to fault Griff for his actions.

"Good luck, Lucas," Griff whispered under his breath as he surrendered himself and Candy to the law of Billings.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, lovely readers, reviewers, and alerts! We are so excited to present to you this next installment of the story. Your guesses and questions are so wonderful for us to read. We hope you continue to enjoy and let us know what you think of this chapter. **

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

By sunrise, Lucas had made good headway back to Virginia City. He still had quite a distance to travel and knew he would need to stop to rest and water the horses soon. He had ridden all through the night with just a brief stop at a creek to refill the water skin he had, courtesy of the wagon driver. His weary mind replayed the events that enfolded which led to him being on the run with medicine that the people in his home town desperately needed. Griff. He thought about the self-sacrifice his young friend had made and he couldn't help but feel gravely concerned for his wellbeing. But Lucas knew he needed to focus on getting home. It was what Griff would want him to do and he couldn't let him down. Not after what he had risked to get Lucas to where he was. Frustration over his helplessness weighed down on his shoulders and he pushed the horses onward with a bark that only the wilderness could hear, "Damn it, Griff!"

* * *

Clem Foster paced his office floor. An announcement followed by quarantine procedures was going to have to be made. The townsfolk were becoming unsettled and panic was brewing with both Sheriff Coffee and Doc Martin declared too ill to be fit for duty. Word spread like wildfire that a plague was upon them and the people wanted answers. A meeting in the church was organized after the morning service. Clem waited for Adam Cartwright's arrival. The two of them were to work together to propose a plan on how to best address the town without causing widespread panic.

When Adam finally arrived, Clem quickly addressed the issue. "Adam, I'm glad you're here. How's your father and Joe doing?"

The Cartwright removed his hat and hung it on the coat rack along with his jacket. With a heavy sigh, he replied, "There's been no change. I guess it's better than the alternative."

"What about Roy?"

Adam met the deputy's concerned gaze and knew he had to tell the truth. "He's getting worse, I'm afraid. Doc said if we don't give him the medicine he needs soon he's not gonna make it. I'm sorry."

Clem looked away and swore under his breath. This was bad. Very bad. Composing himself, he looked up once more and asked, "Any news from Candy, King, and Lucas? Surely they should be on their way back home by now?"

Adam shook his head. "Nothing yet but you're right, they should be home any day now. In the meantime, I hear the town wants some answers and I say we give them hope."

"What do you propose? That we lie to them?" Clem snapped.

Adam ignored the frosty response. He knew Clem was under a lot of stress and the pressure was on him to ensure order in the town was maintained. "No, but we can stall. Tell them that there's nothing to be worried about and that Doc is doing all he can."

Clem gave Adam a doubtful look. "I don't know if I can do that. These people depend on me for information and safety. They trust me." He pointed at the badge pinned onto his plaid shirt. "They trust this."

Adam nodded, tight-lipped. "They also trust you to keep the peace. And for now, I think preventing panic is the best thing we can do for Virginia City."

"Maybe you're right," Clem finally agreed. "At least for now. But if those men don't come soon, we have to explain the situation."

"They'll be here," Adam promised. "I know they will."

* * *

Jeremiah's persistent knock on the town physicians door was rewarded when it swung open to reveal Dr. Grandsmithe.

"Now, I told ya before, you can't keep comin' here until it's safe!" the aging doctor reprimanded.

"I just want to see if there's been any change? Please, Doctor?" the gypsy pleaded.

Dr. Grandsmithe sighed heavily. "Your wife hasn't shown any sign of the illness and your daughter seems to be responding well to treatment, but it is too early to say if she is out of danger." He wiped a smudge from his glasses with his shirt.

"Then I shall return again this evening," Jeremiah declared. "I'm sorry to trouble you." He had very little money on him and with Maria and Ruby weighing heavily on his mind, he decided he head to the stables to get some rest.

* * *

Somehow, Adam's plan had worked when Clem was called upon to address the townsfolk after the morning service at the church. Keeping his tone as positive as he could, he was able to convince them that while quarantine and curfew procedures were in place, it was only to serve as a precaution and that Doc Martin's absence had to do with him being within reach of his patients. A few doubtful looks were exchanged and murmurs among the crowd indicated that they would need more assurance than they were given but for now, they would accept the briefing. Adam was grateful for Clem's cooperation and knew a lot was at stake if more people became ill. The longer Candy and Griff took to retrieve the medicine, the likelihood of the disease spreading increased and the risk of Joe, Pa, Doc Martin and Roy losing their battle heightened.

* * *

Once again he was behind iron bars. The same bars that held him before his trial five years ago when he was a mere fifteen year old boy. Griff paced the perimeter of the small enclosed space and concentrated on drawing breath after another in his attempt to keep his jailhouse fever at bay. Just think about all the people you'll save. He kept telling himself but it was no use. His hands were clammy, sweat made his shirt stick uncomfortably to his skin and it was getting harder to breathe. When he tried to force the air into his lungs by taking deep breaths, his aching ribs protested and he was left feeling unpleasantly breathless. The first three nights were almost bearable with Candy talking him through his distress but the full force of jail-house fever finally claimed him and not even Candy could soothe the terror he felt inside.

"Hey, Sheriff!" Griff took to pacing, hoping that he would calm his nerves if he stretched his legs. "Sheriff!"

"Griff, what are you doing?" Candy hissed from the next cell. He stood up and gripped the bars with both hands. The Sheriff had deliberately kept them separated to ensure they could not plot an escape together.

"I can't take it anymore, Candy!" Griff said defeatedly.

Monaghan strolled into the room with the holding cell, dragging his feet as much as he could. "What?" he said.

"I need some water," Griff said, wiping his hands across his shirt to dry them off. "It's pretty hot in here."

"You'll get a drink when your dinner comes. It'll be another-" He flicked open his pocket watch. "Another twenty minutes. Or so. Depends how busy the kitchen at the hotel is, and what they got left."

Griff finally sat down onto the hard cot when his legs started to shake under the strain. "All I'm asking for is a little water, that's all. You're telling me you got no water here?"

With a slow sigh, Monaghan nodded his head. "That's what I'm tellin' you. Now, pipe down or neither of you will be getting any supper."

Candy waited until Monaghan had left the room before speaking to Griff once more, "Come on, buddy, you gotta hang in there, alright?"

Griff ignored Candy and fell backwards to stretch out on the cot, hoping he could fall asleep to take away the sensation of thirst that plagued him. He absent-mindedly rubbed at his temple, not surprised that his head began to hurt. The ex-con knew all the symptoms of jailhouse fever.

Unfortunately, he was not as well versed in the symptoms of yellow fever.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks to all readers, reviewers, and alerters! We appreciate the enthusiasm ****for this story because we feel it, too. Please enjoy Chapter 12!**

* * *

**Chapter 12: **

After driving through the night with as few stops as the horses could manage, Lucas barely noticed the sun rising that morning. He had lost track of time and couldn't even think about how long he had been travelling. It had to have been close to a week or more, he couldn't tell. As he navigated the wagon down a familiar stretch of road, he almost jumped out of his seat when he saw Adam on Sport galloping toward him. "Adam!" he called. "I got the anti-toxin, Adam!"

When Adam recognized the ranch hand's voice, he kicked Sport into a gallop and soon found himself alongside the wagon. "Lucas, I am so happy to see you, I could kiss you!" he grinned. "You and Griff and Candy! It looks like you've got enough here to cure everyone and them some!" he remarked, looking at the precious cargo. "A few people in town came down with the fever, too, including Roy," he explained. "Since you're so close, would you mind delivering this to Clem? I can grab a few bottles and get this to everyone sick at home. Griff and Candy can help-" Suddenly, Adam realized in his excitement, he failed to see Griff or Candy anywhere. "Where are Griff and Candy anyway?"

Lucas's face fell into a grimace. "They're in jail," he disclosed.

"What? They're, _where_?" Adam gasped, almost forgetting that they needed to hurry with distributing the medicine. He cracked open a box and began carefully placing a few bottles in his saddle.

"We had some… problems getting this medicine." Lucas pursed his lips. "And they.. Well, we… Look, Adam, we don't have time for this. Just take care of your family. I'll drop this off and meet you there. I'll explain everything then, okay? We're wastin' time getting this medicine to people who need it, and Griff might be wastin' away in that cell, along with Candy."

For a moment, Adam was torn between distributing the medicine and thinking about his friends spending any amount of time in a locked, barred cell. Adam knew how much Griff hated and, even though the ex-con would not admit it outright, feared returning to captivity. Because of that knowledge, however, Adam could not fathom how Griff would ever do something to land him in jail and risk his parole. Adam doubled his pace and quickly mounted Sport. The quicker he and Lucas delivered this antitoxen, the sooner Adam could stop worrying about his family and, apparently, start worrying about Griff and Candy. "Lucas, you saved a lot of lives doing this. Come as quick as you can, you hear?"

"I'll be quicker than that," Lucas vowed as Adam took off towards the Ponderosa. He steadied himself and told the horses to continue on their journey. He knew he should have felt satisfied, even heroic, for bringing in the medicine in Virginia City's time of need, but all he could think about was Griff's determined expression as he held up the pharmacy and sacrificed his own parole. "You got us out of a real big jam," Lucas lamented out loud, wishing Griff could have magically appeared to laugh at Lucas's sentimentality and assure him nothing was wrong. Oh, but he knew that for every second Griff and Candy spent in that cell, there was something very wrong. "Now I hope we can get you both out of yours."

* * *

Adam spurred Sport into a gallop, knowing that his trusty horse could make it to the Ponderosa easily if asked to do so. When Adam pulled up into the yard, he did not even wait for the horse to stop moving before his jumped off his back, grabbed the bottles of medicine, and sprinted into the house. "I got it! Pa, Joe, Doc, I got it!"

* * *

Jeremiah awoke to the sound of unsettled horses or rather a particular horse. Having been raised by a father who was a horse breaker, Jeremiah spent most of his time growing up with horses and was able to recognize certain behaviors that were considered unusual. This horse seemed to be trying to get anyone's attention as if to say he didn't belong there and needed to find its master.

"Easy, boy, easy," Jeremiah coaxed as he slowly rose to his feet, picked up the lantern and approached the animal carefully. Reaching out with his free hand, he gently but firmly its coat then scanned it for signs of what could be causing the distress. There didn't appear to be any injuries, at least, none that was visible but it was odd that whoever had tethered the beast didn't remove the saddle. On closer inspection, Jeremiah saw the horse was branded and recalled seeing it recently. _Of course! That young man's horse! The one who is in jail now, the poor lad! _He had seen the mark just days ago when the horse was reunited with its owner. He petted the horse's black flank, staring at the brand. Three horizontal lines, the top being the shortest, with a vertical line cutting down the middle. "Looks like a tree," he mused to himself. The horse threw his head backwards and shook his neck, as if confirming his interpretation. "Well, I don't know where that is," he informed the horse. "And if I did, I don't have the money or time to take you back there," Jeremiah grumbled. "My daughter, she is sick. I wait for news every day, and every day the doctor tells me so little." The horse ceased its movements, giving Jeremiah the impression he was listening. "But I can give you a good brushing. Looks like nobody has in a few days. And with your owner away, no-one's looked after you or your friends, have they? No, they just locked you in here just like that poor boy," Jeremiah shook his head sadly, feeling hopeless to help even this animal.

Slowly and methodically, Jeremiah began to give the black horse a thorough treatment. The horse steadied himself for a moment, clearly enjoying the feeling of the course brush over his fur. After a moment, though, the horse resumed his fidgeting again and Jeremiah let out a huff of frustration. "So nervous," he mumbled. "Perhaps getting this saddle off will help?"

The horse's movements only gained momentum, and Jeremiah dropped the saddle to the side to comfort the animal, however, during Thunder's restless movements, his hooves got dangerously close to stomping on the gypsy's not so nimble feet and the man lost his balance. Tumbling backwards, his legs hit a bale of hail and he fell through over the other side on top of a pile of loose hay. By good fortune or fate, one of his flailing arms came across an unexpected discovery. Looking down and pushing the strands of hay away, Jeremiah unearthed a book, a waterskin which had a hole in it and strips of cloth which were soiled in dark stains. _Blood? Perhaps they were used to dress someone's wound? _Curiosity prompted Jeremiah to move the items aside when his eyes caught sight of a couple of sheets of creased up papers with the same tree branding stamped at the bottom of the second page right below a signature. The papers appeared to be a letter of some important nature. While Jeremiah found it difficult to make out all of the words, he wasn't completely illiterate and was able to put together letter combinations to form a few words including the name "Griff King" which was mentioned in the letter and looked oddly familiar to him. He picked up the papers and read aloud, "Cartwright? Ponderosa…" His eyes darted back and forth from the horse's brand and the signature on the document. "You are far from your home," he winked at the onyx-colored steed. Jeremiah continued to scan the papers. "Oh, my…" He leaned against the stall. "They were telling the truth! And this is what they were looking before when they found you! Oh and that medicine..." He looked up at the horse. "We must do something about this, yes?" The horse neighed loudly, as if sensing he'd soon be returned home. "Yes!"

* * *

The sound of keys unlocking the metal door of the holding cell brought Griff out of his deep slumber. He didn't realize or think it were possible to fall asleep in the small, cramped metal enclosure that imprisoned him but the last thing he remembered was gulping down a tin cup of water before he lay his head down on the hard cot.

"Rise and shine, boys! Got some breakfast for ya," Sheriff Monaghan greeted in a lazy drawl. He opened the door of Candy's cell just wide enough to shove a tray of eggs and hard tack through it.

Candy reached out to grab the tray and lift it onto his lap. He took a piece of hard tack in his hand and beat it on tray. "A far cry from Hop Sing's flapjacks," he sighed.

Even with all the racket, Griff barely stirred, so Monaghan entered his cell completely. "Hey," he called to wake the inmate.

Griff raised his arm over his forehead as a throbbing headache claimed him. "Where…" For a moment, Griff had forgotten he resided in a cell, but that second of blissful ignorance left when his memory returned full force. "Oh."

"Come on, get up! I got a busy day and this is the only food you'll be gettn' till supper," Monaghan snapped, kicking at his prisoner's legs as they dangled off the cot.

Griff groaned as he forced his eyelids to stay open and his muscles to cooperate but each movement he made felt like his limbs weighed a ton.

"What's the matter with ya, huh?" Monaghan barked impatiently. He placed the plate of stale bread and canteen of water down on the cot opposite the one Griff was laying on then left the cell and locked the door after him.

"Think…" Griff licked his lips, trying to will away the feeling on cotton in his throat. "Think something's wrong."

The Sheriff took a hard look at his prisoner. The boy did look ill, but Monaghan had seen every trick in the book during his time working in Billings. "Eat up, or starve. I don't care which." He refused to be made a fool of, especially by some kid who had clearly already rigged the system if his parole were any indication. "Ungrateful, son-of-a-gun," the lawman mumbled as he walked away.

Griff attempted to roll off the cot to his feet but a wave of dizziness washed over him and he fell to the floor on all fours. "Ain't. Nobody's. Son," he choked out, trying to focus on one single spot on the ground. Crawling on his hands and knees, Griff breathlessly inched himself closer to the adjacent cot and reached for the canteen "Candy..."

Candy got to his feet and stretched his arm out as far as he could, but he was still feet away from reaching Griff. "Buddy, try to hang in there, okay?"

"Candy, I'm sorry," Griff coughed. "This is all my fault. I shoulda…" He paused to inhale shakily. "Shoulda never come here. Thought I could handle being in Billings again, but now I'm not so sure." He wiped away the beads of sweat trickling down his face. "Somethings happening to me, I think. Like jailhouse fever, but different. I can't…"

As he watched Griff, Candy couldn't discern whether or not it was sweat or tears he wiped away. "You can handle being here," Candy declared. "I know you can. You're strong, Griff. Stronger than anyone in this town. We only gotta hold out until they come get us out of here. You can do that."

Griff nodded at Candy's encouragement, but not because he believed Candy. His best friend's worried face was the last thing Griff say before everything faded into a black bottomless pit.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Author's Note:_ **_Thank you to our loyal readers - here is another chapter for you._

_VCS_

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

Adam took the stairs two at a time as he rushed into the bedroom housing his ill father and younger brother. "Pa? Joe? I'm back! And I've got the medicine." As Adam uncorked the bottle to measure out the proper dosage, he glanced over at his father, who remained motionless in bed. With one strong arm, Adam hoisted his father into a sitting position.

"Adam… Y'okay?" Ben asked drowsily, always the concerned parent when it was _he _who deserved concern this time. "Joe?" Too weak to even turn his head, Ben could not see Joe in the bed across the room.

"Yeah, Pa, I'm good," Adam assured him. "And Joe will be when I get him this antitoxin. You, too. Open your mouth." He spooned the liquid into Ben's mouth, ensuring the sick man swallowed, before tucking him in under the blankets again. "That's good, Pa, real good." He laid his palm over Ben's broad forehead to gauge his fever. It raged on, but now Adam could hope that the medicine would help combat and destroy it before Ben's body gave out.

Satisfied his father was as comfortable as he could be, Adam walked over to attend to Joe. Whereas Ben's energy had been drained by his illness, Joe's discomfort and desperation had made him combative. The sheets twisted around Joe's ankles and kept him in place while his left hand groped at the air for something Adam could not see. It didn't look like Joe was successful at grabbing whatever it was, for he repeated the motion over and over again.

"I'm here, Joe," Adam soothed, catching his younger brother's arm and gently pressing it back down onto the mattress. "Easy, now. I've got some medicine for you and it'll make you feel better real quick. I'm gonna sit you up now, okay?" Adam explained.

"No, not okay," Joe said in a small, weak voice that Adam could barely hear. "They're not okay. Everyone's dead. Dead because of me. I brought it. Brought it home." He stretched out his left hand and Adam quickly caught it.

"Joe, no, you didn't do this," Adam refuted in a low voice, not wanting the distressing conversation to be overheard by their Pa, though he was deeply worried for his brother's state of mind . "Lucas, he brought the medicine back. It's gonna help you and everyone with the fever will get better soon. Come on," Adam coaxed. He dipped the spoon into the glass bottle and positioned it close to Joe's mouth. "Open up."

Joe obeyed, weakening even more with every breath. Adam settled him back down to a prone position and, once he was sure Joe was calm, he left the room to distribute the medicine to Doc Martin and the rest of those who had come down with Yellow Fever. He prayed that he did so early enough to cure everyone, and hoped in town, the medicine Lucas delivered would yield similar results.

* * *

Jeremiah walked the big black horse out of the stables and toward the sheriff's office. He knew the unfortunate young men he and his family encountered by the river were locked up in the jailhouse. Locked up for trying to help his friends and hometown from the same illness that gripped his daughter. He felt compelled to help them, even if his efforts proved futile, at least he had to try. As he reached the steps that led up to the sheriff's office, the lawman stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Monaghan took one look at the slighter man in front of him, walked down the steps and attempted to shove his way past but a great big horse stepped out from behind the man and gave him a nudge on the shoulder which almost sent the sheriff sprawling. "Hey! Get that animal away from me, you crazy fool!" Monaghan barked angrily.

"My apologies, sheriff, but he's not mine, you see…" Jeremiah began but was cut off harshly by the belligerent lawman.

"Now look here, I got no time for your kind of folk and for your sake, you best be leavin' quick as you can, if you catch my drift!" Monaghan stepped right up to the offending man, towering over him threateningly.

"I've done nothing wrong, committed no crime," Jeremiah said, quite taken back that all it took was a small blow to the sheriff's ego to propel him into abusing his power. "Neither has this animal."

Monaghan scowled. "Let's keep it that way." He tried to push past Jeremiah to return to his office, but the man did not move an inch.

"He belongs to one of your prisoners, Sheriff. I found some papers that say -" He searched through the papers, finding the ones that would prove all along the two men had, indeed, arrived on orders to retrieve medicine and prevent a devastating outbreak of Yellow Fever in their town.

The horse fidgeted from one hoof to the other, stepping on Monaghan as he pranced and bristled.

"Ow!" the Sheriff yelped, raising his knee to his chest to take the pressure off his bruised foot. He swayed back and forth, unsteadily on one leg, cursing loudly as he did. "No paper in the world can excuse King of holding up that pharmacy! You saw it, I saw it," the Sheriff snapped, finally forcing his foot back down before he fell to the ground. "For all I know, you forged them."

"You didn't even look!" Jeremiah rebuked.

"And I ain't gonna," said the Sheriff. "Now you best put that beast back where he came from. If he's King's property, I'll be confiscating him anyway."

"But Sheriff," Jeremiah interrupted. "Please, be reasonable, I-"

"Jeremiah!" Dr. Grandsmithe jogged down the street, unaware of the tension that had built up. "I've been looking for you everywhere. It's Ruby."

Jeremiah quickly stuffed the papers back into the saddle bag, all thoughts of helping Griff pushed aside for the moment. "Is she alright? Oh please, she's not…"

"No," the doctor quickly interrupted. "She's fine. Better than fine, to be exact. Her fever broke and she's more lucid. I believe she's turned a corner and that it'd be safe for you to visit. I wanted to tell you as soon as I was sure."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Jeremiah impatiently tethered the horse to a nearby post. "I will be back soon for you," he promised then quickly departed the street, heading towards the doctor's office while Sheriff Monaghan threw up his arms in frustration and stalked back towards the jailhouse.

The black horse pulled on his reins, bobbing his head up and down. He neighed and pawed at the ground, as if aware he had been left alone and trying to get attention.

* * *

Sheriff Monaghan could hear the high-pitched whinnies from his office, and so he shut the window to avoid the distraction. The sound faintly made its way into the back room, where the holding cells were located. Candy perked up at the familiar neighing. "Thunder..." he remarked quietly. "We're trying to get outta here, boy." Candy glanced at Griff, who was already asleep after having refused his dinner. The foreman huffed, trying to clear his head. Worry bubbled up in his gut, both for Griff and for himself. He said a silent prayer before closing his eyes and let the unsettling silence of the jail lull him to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks to all those interested and responsive to this story. Chapter 14 coming at you!**

* * *

**Chapter 14:**

Ben listened to his eldest son as he explained the best he could the predicament that Griff had found himself in in Billings. With very little that Lucas had relayed to him, Adam wasn't able to tell his father what had led to Griff's and Candy's arrests, except that the young man was once again behind bars and it had to do with retrieving the medicine. Ben sat up straighter against the headboard of the bed and frowned. Before the departure from the Ponderosa, he recalled he had given his men the legal papers that Griff needed to exempt him from certain parole conditions. It should have been enough to protect him from any kind of legal trouble, and yet something had happened. Now Lucas was on his way back to Virginia City driving a wagon that was clearly not the Ponderosa's property. It was likely he had little rest, and that went for the horses as well. "Lucas won't make it to back her unless he was able to get fresh horses in Virginia City," Ben surmised.

"I trust he wouldn't be foolish enough to not change horses," Adam tried to sound reassuring, but given the desperation of the situation, he couldn't keep the doubt from creeping into his voice. "I just don't understand how Griff ended up in jail. The papers were very specific to his parole conditions. It was all legal," Adam mused worriedly. "And how did Candy end up there, too?"

"Whatever happened, we've gotta help them," Ben declared fervently as he started to push the blankets off him but firm hands stopped him.

"Whoa! Hold on a minute, Pa. You're still sick. You can't go out there," Adam ordered.

"Adam, there's no time to argue…" Ben started but to interject but was stopped by his son.

"This isn't about whether or not you feel you are well enough to help Griff. You could still be sick enough to pass on the infection to others. We don't know how many people have already been infected," Adam reasoned.

Ben thought about Adam had just said and it made sense. They couldn't risk the sickness spreading. "You're right. But there must be something we can do."

"Maybe there is," Adam offered. He was thrilled that his father had responded so well so quickly to the medicine and hoped Joe would show the same progress soon. Now that he could relax ever so slightly thinking about the health of his family, Adam found that his concern for Griff grew exponentially with each passing minute.

"We won't know the full story until Lucas gets back here to explain." Ben paused to look at Adam and saw his words did not calm his eldest son. "Adam, how is everyone else doing?"

"Paul and Roy are responding like you. Both have been able to eat a bowl of broth. In fact, Paul's been up and around for a short walk," Adam reported.

"And… Joe?" Ben prodded.

"About the same."

Ben again threw off the covers that Adam had just replaced. "I have to see him," he said, pushing himself into a seat at the side of the bed."

"Pa, we just went over this…"

"No, we didn't." Ben shakily stood and Adam put an arm around his father to steady him as the recovering found his balance. "I won't leave the Ponderosa to contain the sickness, but I certainly can't infect Joe. Maybe I can lift his spirits." Adam sighed heavily, but he knew he would never deter his father now that he had just a fraction of his normal strength again. "You said Paul had walked around a little. Time for me to try."

"Fine, fine," Adam finally relented.

He walked Ben down the hall and just as the pair made their way through the doorway, a slam of the front door rang out from downstairs. "Adam?" Adam and Ben could hear the exhaustion in Lucas's shout.

"Up here!" Adam responded as he helped Ben settle into a comfortable chair next to Joe's bed. Since their arrival, Joe hadn't made a move.

Lucas took the stairs two at a time and made a beeline for Joe's room. "Mr. Cartwright!" he smiled. "Good to see you up and around. Joe?"

"Holding his own," Adam answered quickly. "Sit down before you fall down, Lucas." He motioned for the foreman to sit in the empty chair. Lucas obliged gratefully.

"You don't look much better yourself," Lucas grinned. He meant the retort as a joke, but his observation was correct.

Knowing this, Adam chose to ignore Lucas's remark. "Now, please tell us what happened to you all. How in blazes did they end up in jail?"

"It…" Lucas shook his head. "Actually, what happened first was…" As Lucas tried to process all of the events that had led up to Griff and Candy being imprisoned in the Billings jailhouse, he found himself unable to speak. After a moment, Lucas finally managed to bite out the explanation in its simplest terms. "Griff and Candy ended up in jail to get the medicine to save the town from Yellow Fever. And now we've gotta get him out of there as fast as we can."

Adam hastily poured some water from a pitcher and passed the glass to Lucas, who took liberal gulps to relieve his thirst and listened to Ben's next words.

"Lucas, I know it would be no good to tell you to get some rest. Take a couple of men from the bunkhouse and fresh horses with you to Billings. Adam, you go with him and bring along another hand you trust, maybe George. I want you to be prepared for anything that might come your way. Take this letter I'm going to write. Bring some money… Enough to cover the cost of the wagon and horses and compensation for the Sheriff's troubles." At Lucas's annoyed look, he added before the hand could interrupt, "We have to show some respect for the law and the town. Candy, Griff and you did what you had to do save many lives here but the sheriff may find your actions to be unreasonable. For Candy's and Griff's sakes, the best thing we can do is cooperate."

"We'll take care of it, Pa. You and Joe just rest easy. We'll try to get this over with as soon as possible," Adam reassured.

"It's a long ride, Adam," Ben reminded his eldest son.

"I know. Don't worry," Adam returned with a small smile. He cast a quick glance at his travelling companion and knew that Lucas was not going to be able to stay in his saddle for long. The journey back to the Ponderosa had taken its toll and they were going to have to get some proper rest on the way there.

Ben waved goodbye to Adam and Lucas as they exited the house. Looking down from the window, the patriarch listened to their departing horses' clip clops until he heard nothing. Satisfied he could do no more for them, Ben slowly walked into Joe's room and eased himself into the chair near his son's bed.

Joe's eyes were cracked open, staring at the ceiling. After a moment, Joe gingerly turned his head towards Ben and inhaled sharply. "Pa," he said, expelling the air in a cough. "You're up."

"That I am," Ben winked. "Our men came through with the antidote," he reported. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, now that I see you're doing okay." A small smile crossed and quickly left Joe's expression. "What about everyone else?"

"Steadily improving," Ben reported.

"What a relief," said Joe as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. "Candy, Lucas, and Griff must've made record time on their way back. Are they around the house now?"

Ben's expression turned somber as he explained to Joe what had happened while the three men were on their mission for the medicine.

Joe pushed himself up to sit higher against the pillow and headboard of the bed. "Is there anything more we can do, Pa?"

"I'm afraid for now, we've done all we can. Neither of us are in any condition to travel, and we don't know if we are still at risk of infecting others. I'm sure the Sheriff at Billings will see sense once they arrive with my letter," Ben concluded, barely hiding his concern.

Joe could only nod. _I hope you're right, Pa._


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks to our wonderful readers for their continued responses! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapt****er 15:**

Griff came to awareness slowly.

His first thought was that he had overslept, so he struggled to slide his feet off of his bunk and onto the floor. When he started to shift around, however, he figured out that his whole body was on the floor. Had he fallen during the night? As Griff began to push himself up off of the floor, the stiffness in his joints and lightheadedness helped his wits return. _Not home. In the Billings jail. _Griff let out a short, wry sigh at the thought of Billings, the place he lived for more than half his life, not being what he considered home. His home was the Ponderosa.

The throbbing pain in his joints was nothing compared to the hopelessness that bubbled up in his gut when he came to the realization that it might be a long time before he would be able to return to Nevada, if at all.

"I messed everything up," he admitted to the empty, dank cell. Griff fought his way to his feet, swaying until he was close enough to the bars to lean on them for support. His shaking hands gripped a bar, and he was startled to feel how cold the metal pole was in his hand.

Suddenly, Griff began to connect the dots laid before him. His feelings were not a case of mere jailhouse fever or grief. Weakness, dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, and now fever…

Griff had contracted Yellow Fever.

Trying to slow his quickening breath, Griff gathered the bit of strength left and began to yell. "Sheriff! Hey, Sheriff!" Griff gasped for air, but continued to call out. "Hey!"

Candy stirred from his slumber when Griff began to call out. "Griff? Griff, what's the matter?"

Griff did not even acknowledge Candy and continued to bellow for the sheriff as best as he could.

Sheriff Monaghan sauntered into the jail cell and did not even flinch when he saw Griff stumble backwards and fall into a seat on the bed. "What, boy?"

"I… I think…" He swallowed and winced at the rawness of his throat. "I need a doc."

The sheriff took note at how pale his prisoner looked, but he had seen inmates pull every trick in the book. "I ain't falling for that, King," he scoffed. "Now quit your bellyaching and keep quiet."

"Not… Not faking," Griff gasped. "It's… I th-think I got the yellowjack…"

"You what!?" Candy gasped, cursing the bars that prevented him from running over to his ailing friend.

"You're bluffing," Monaghan scoffed, but he did take a few steps backwards. "You ain't got the yellowjack. You just think if I open that there door, then you'll be able to escape. I bet you're both in cahoots."

Anger and desperation overcame Griff and in one last ditch to convince the lawman, he lunged off the cot and gripped the iron bars with both hands. "Listen to me!" He demanded before a coughing fit claimed him.

Monaghan took menacing steps toward the cell when through the light of the lamp he could clearly see the tell-tale signs of yellow fever. From the yellow tinge of Griff's face and the beads of sweat to the obvious tremors and glazed eyes. Cursing under his breath he stepped back quickly. "Alright, boy, I'll get the Doc." Turning on his heel, he hurried out to fetch the town doctor. He pointed at Candy. "Don't you try nothing."

Griff's strength gave out and the bars slipped through his fingers as he slid to the floor unnoticed by the sheriff who had already raced out of the jailhouse, leaving the door unlocked in his haste.

* * *

Adam knew that dawn was not far away but Lucas was swaying in his saddle and it was still a long ride to get to Billings. It was likely the ranch hand was going to fall and break his neck if they didn't rest for a few hours. Despite the sandy-haired man's insistence that they carry on a little more, he offered no more resistance when Adam and George hurried to his side to stop him from falling out of the saddle.

"I figure we have three, maybe four hours before sun up. Let's get those bed rolls down and get as much shut eye as we can," Adam instructed as he climbed down from his horse and wasted no time to set up camp. While the moon provided enough light, there was a chill in the air and the four men agreed on starting a small campfire for warmth.

"Wonder what they're thinking right now," Lucas sighed absentmindedly.

Adam tossed another twig onto the glowing fire. "Griff and Candy know we're coming," he declared. "They know we'd never abandon them."

Lucas shook his head. "But that's what I did when I rode out of there. Left them to deal with the consequences of actions we all took. Maybe I shouldn't have ridden out so fast. Maybe we could have figured out another deal. Maybe-"

"Those consequences," Adam said, "Included saving Virginia City from a yellow fever epidemic." He put a comforting hand on Lucas's slumped shoulder. "You made the right call."

"It was Griff's idea," Lucas nodded, his lips tightening. "That boy is always one to lend a helping hand, even when his are full. We're gonna get him out of there, right?"

"Absolutely," responded Adam. "Both of them."

"Yeah," Geroge added. "We ain't gonna let Candy or Griff stay in some Billings cell for the rest of their lives." He smiled to communicate confidence to Lucas.

"Well, Griff won't be in Billings for long. With his record, they'd probably transfer him to the State Prison," George said, unaware of the two sets of eyes glaring at him. "Not that he'll be in there long enough to get transferred," he added after an awkward moment.

"Let's turn in." Adam stood up and stretched. He and Geroge each offered Lucas a stabilizing hand as the exhausted man made his way to his feet. "We leave at dawn."

* * *

Charlie Jensen stumbled down the steps of the hotel after being told he had had enough to drink. He knew he'd been in a worse state and still felt he had his wits about him but when an argument broke out between him and card dealer, Wallace, over a game of Black Jack, the barkeep refused to refill his glass. That was the downside of living in Billings - there was only one bar, Charlie thought bitterly. As he started to walk down the street, something caught his eye. Sheriff Monaghan flew out of the jailhouse and was running across the road. "Wonder what's your hurry, Sheriff," he pondered aloud then a devious thought occurred to him and an evil smile curled at the corners of his mouth. It was no secret that his step-son was the newest resident in the jailhouse. The whole town was talking about it. Folks were uneasy hearing about strangers causing a ruckus in their town.

Charlie figured since the deputy was home with his expectant wife, the timing was perfect to catch up with the boy. _Maybe I'll give him a scar just like mine!_

Scurrying to the jailhouse, Charlie felt luck was truly on his side when he noted the door was unlocked. He felt even more lucky when he saw the still form sprawled on the floor of the cell. "Griff? Boy?" Charlie took a few steps towards the jail cell, looking over his shoulder to make sure that no one was around or in earshot. He bent down and could hear Griff's struggle to breath evenly. "You do not look good, boy. Not good at all."

"Jensen!" Candy snarled from his cell. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Charlie swiveled on his heel to face the menacing voice. "Oh, I know you," he grinned. "That cowpoke Griff is always hanging onto. Well now, looks like the boy grabbed your apron string and pulled you right into jail with him." He guffawed so hard he almost knocked himself over.

Candy seethed, leaning forward on the bars of the cell and both his fists pressing into the smooth steel. "Let him alone, or I swear I strangle you with my bare hands the minute I get a chance."

"You ain't gonna get no chance. I could kill the boy right now, and make you watch." He retrieved a gun from his holster and clicked off the safety so Candy could hear it. The older man grasped a fistfull of Griff's hair and yanked his head back to expose his throat, placing the barrel near Griff's throat. Griff's only response was a weak cough.

It was at that moment Charlie finally realized something was off with Griff. Why didn't Griff say anything to him? Usually just his very presence was enough to make his step-son uneasy. Griff barely looked cognizant of the fact that Charlie was holding a gun to his throat.

"Put that gun down!" Candy cried, cursing his helplessness. "Sheriff? Deputy? Anybody, help!"

After a few seconds, Charlie realized why the Sheriff must have run off and why Griff was unaware of his surroundings- he was sick, sick enough to need a doctor. Dr. Grandesmithe's office was all the way on the other side of town. Even if the doc were able to follow the Sheriff right away, it would still take awhile for the two men to return.

That realization led Charlie to form a plan. He quickly straightened up, letting Griff drop back down to the ground with a soft thud, and began to search the jailhouse for the keys to the cells. It didn't take him long, from experience, to find the keys dangling on the far wall beside the door to the sheriff's office. Grabbing the keys, he hurried back to the cell and unlocked the door.

Candy looked on, confused at Charlie's intentions. He was so enveloped by trying to figure out what Charlie was up to that he didn't notice Charlie grab his shirt and pull him forward to the two were face to face, inches away from each other in between the bars.

"You ain't got no part in what's between me and King," the older man growled.

Suddenly, Candy felt like he understood why this man haunted Griff as badly as he did. Previously, Candy had only known Charlie as a nasty drunk well past his prime. In this instant, Candy could see Charlie for what he was, a spiteful, violent man who enjoyed making others suffer in any way he could.

Before Candy could react, Charlie brought down the butt of the gun onto the top of Candy's head. The foreman crumpled into a heap on the floor, out cold. "Cowpoke." He spit at Candy's body.

"Now back to business," he stated, returning to Griff's side. The older man lightly kicked at Griff's shoulder, testing his level of consciousness. Even at the sudden movement, Griff didn't stir. Only his head flopped backwards from the force of Charlie's foot.

Grinning, Charlie knelt down and lifted Griff's long arms over his shoulder. As Griff's arms dangled mid-air, Charlie straightened his legs, hoisting Griff off of the floor and carried him out of the cell, knocking over a mop that was leaning against the wall beside the cell. The ill twenty year-old opened his eyes just slightly, moving his lips soundlessly for a moment.

Charlie froze, and Griff's eyelids drifted shut again. Laughing softly, Charlie's whiskey mulled brain visualized another idea. He dropped the keys he held and kicked it closer to toward the mop handle to give the impression that the prisoner had used the mop to reach for the keys even though a reasonable person would see there was a good distance that stood between the cell and the wall where the keys were hung. Of course Charlie knew the Sheriff wasn't always a reasonable person. Satisfied with his plan taking shape, he continued to move slowly, exiting the jail from the back door, his unaware prey slung over his back. "Looks like there's been a jailbreak," he said. "Yes, siree, Griff. A parolee busting outta jail? Why, that'll get you life in prison, if it don't get you a noose."


	16. Chapter 16

_**Author's Note: **Here is our next chapter :-) Thank you to all our readers once more and special thanks to "honu59" for being a very attentive reader and picking up our boo-boos along the way - we have gone back to make the fixes in chapters 13 & 14 which are now re-posted. Hopefully we have caught them all :-)_

_VCS _

* * *

**Chapter 16:**

Jeremiah gently brushed the strands of loose hair from his daughter damp forehead and smiled in relief. The fever had broken just as the Doc had told him and she was sleeping soundly. He looked up into Dr. Grandsmithe's kind face, "I don't know how to thank you!"

With a weary sigh, the physician nodded. "Well, it wasn't just me. She's a little fighter and like I said, a mother's love can do wonders!" He gave the child's mother a warm smile.

Maria fought back tears of gratitude as she held Ruby's tiny hand in hers and looked lovingly into her husband's eyes.

The sound of the front door opening and Sheriff Monaghan's urgent voice calling out for Dr. Grandsmithe broke the scene. "Doc, one of my prisoners! You gotta come quick!"

Jeremiah took a sharp inhale at the mention of Griff.

"He's real sick," the Sheriff continued.

"I'll be right there," the doctor said then turned to Jeremiah and Maria. "Please, I invite you both to stay with Ruby as long as you wish." He grabbed his travel bag from the corner of the office. "She might be weak for a few days, but now that her appetite has returned, her strength will return in no time." Dr. Grandsmithe smiled kindly and moved towards the door with Sheriff Monaghan. "Let's see to your prisoner."

"The boy in jail!" Jeremiah exclaimed, once the door had closed, remembering what he had planned to do. "Oh, my… I was so concerned with Ruby, I forgot to send the telegram. Cartwright, Ben Cartwright," he reminded himself. "Perhaps he can straighten this out."

"Straighten what out? Who is this Cartwright?" Maria asked, confused. "Jeremiah, you're not making any sense, my love."

Jeremiah kissed Ruby on the forehead, rising from his knees. "I have to go now, before it's too late!"

* * *

Sheriff Monaghan raced back to the jailhouse with the doctor in tow but once he passed his office, he noted the cell door stood wide open, a mop lay on the floor with the set of keys beside it and a scene painted in his mind before any rationale stopped him. "What the?! That son of a gun! He escaped! I should've known!" Monaghan fumed as he examined the evidence in front of him. He glanced over at the other cell to check if Candy were still present.

The ranch foreman was still on the floor, but was starting to sit up and was holding his head, moaning periodically.

"You!" the sheriff cried. "What happened to King? When did he bust out? And how?"

"Oh, God, my head," Candy mumbled as Monaghan's voice drilled its way into his ringing ears.

The doctor made his way towards Candy's cell. "Nonetheless my services are needed." He nonchalantly grabbed the keys, bypassing Monaghan entirely, to take care of a potential patient. "Now, what happened to you here? Did your friend do this after he escaped?"

"Escape?" Candy tried to focus on Dr. Grandesmithe's face, even though it was wavering from side to side. "Griff didn't escape. He was kidnapped by that lowlife, Jensen. Charlie Jensen. I saw the whole thing before he knocked me out."

The sheriff stepped forward and sidled next to the doctor. "Jensen kidnapped King? But why in tarnation would he do a thing like that?" Monaghan wondered incredulously. "I ain't never heard of ransoming no con!" His eyes narrowed. "You must be lying."

"Sheriff, I don't mean no disrespect, but do you really think the boy staged his escape in the condition you had just described to me?" Dr. Grandesmithe interrupted. "And how would that even explain this man's head injury? It's possible that he is telling the truth."

"_I am!"_ Candy insisted, gripping his head when the shooting pain returned as he moved. "Jensen will do anything he can to make Griff suffer, even stage a jailbreak to send him back to prison. The only reason Griff couldn't put up a fight is because he was so sick, and you saw that, Sheriff. Please, just go look for Jensen. Wherever he is, that's where you'll find Griff!"

The physician nearly cringed at the sheriff's change of heart for his prisoner's welfare. "If Griff was as sick as you claimed, maybe the boy doesn't even realize what's happened, if Charlie did do this. I've seen people do strange things when they've got a fever."

Sheriff Monaghan stalked towards the door, unsure of his next move. The more he mulled over it the more that Candy's story seemed to be the more plausible explanation even if he did not care to admit it out loud. No one in town would call Jensen a decent fellow, but was he so rotten he would deny a sick man a doctor and force him out of jail? "Fine. I'll check this out, Canaday. But you better be telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or else I'll see to it that the only thing you'll see for the rest of your life are iron bars!" He cocked the gun and added over his shoulder, "And your friend will, too."

Dr. Grandesmith just shook his head and sighed, standing in the jailhouse for a moment before wrapping a white cloth around Candy's head. "I'm afraid I can't do much for the pain or dizziness, but those will pass in time." Candy barely allowed himself to rest before Jeremiah burst through the door.

"Doctor, is the sheriff here?" he said, looking around wildly.

"I'm afraid you just missed him," the older man answered. "It appears his prisoner has escaped."

Jeremiah gasped. "That boy was wrongly imprisoned. And I can prove it! Do you know where the sheriff was going?"

"I don't know where he is," Doctor Grandsmithe admitted. "But maybe you can help us find him. I've a feeling he is in grave danger. Only thing is I don't want to leave Mr. Canaday here alone."

"Go, please, I'll be fine. Griff needs you more than I do!" Candy insisted.

The physician looked skeptical but judging from the desperate look in his patient's eyes and the urgency in Jeremiah's voice, the dire circumstances that Griff was in would have to take precedence. "Alright, come with me, Jeremiah. I know someone who can help."

* * *

The sun had slowly risen, and the town of Billings was beginning to stir and come alive. Bill Coleman had only just arrived at the post office before he was accosted by Dr. Grandsmithe and a strange man.

"Bill, I know you haven't opened yet, but this is very important - it's a matter of life and death for a young man. A patient of mine," Dr. Grandsmithe explained urgently.

"Of course, please come inside. What can I do to help?" Bill offered, unlocking the door and ushering the two men inside.

"I need to send an urgent telegram to Ben Cartwright," Doc replied before swaying where he stood.

"Whoah, easy there, Doc!" Bill caught the weary physician and with Jeremiah's help, they settled him into a chair.

"I'm alright, Bill. I just need a moment."

Bill was not convinced. He studied the doctor and noted the dark circles beneath his bloodshot eyes. It looked like the man hadn't slept in days. "When was the last time you had a good night's sleep, Doc?"

Dr. Grandsmithe let out a heavy sigh and said, "Two days, I think, but I don't remember exactly. Please, we don't have much time. I need to send the telegram."

"Yes, of course," Bill nodded and set about preparing his equipment.

* * *

Ben Cartwright reread the telegram that had just been delivered to his home and let out a deep sigh. He sat on the sofa, still more fatigued than he'd like to be but otherwise was resuming his day to day activities. Doc Martin and Roy Coffee had also responded well to the anti-toxin treatment, and had left the Ponderosa a day and a half ago. Joe, too, was improving daily since he had begun to accept that he was not the cause of the illness effecting the residents of Virginia City. Word spread that another resident who had not come into contact with anyone from the Ponderosa was also ill and so he had no rational reason to feel guilty about it.

Ben was tempted to keep the telegram's contents from his son so as to not hinder his recovery with worry, but Ben was never one to lie to others. He slowly climbed up the stairs, gripping the railing for support, and entered Joe's bedroom.

Joe laid on top of the bed, one foot hanging off the side.

"Joseph," Ben greeted solemnly and sat beside his healing son. He handed the telegram to Joe. "This just came."

"Griff's missing?" Joe stuttered after skimming the document. "What could that mean? I thought he was in the town jail."

Ben nodded shortly. "I just hope 'missing' isn't another word for escaped. If it is then…"

Joe knew his father well enough to finish his thought accurately. "We'll never see him again."


	17. Chapter 17

_**Author's Note: **Thank you once again to all of our readers for continuing to follow our story. To "Kirsten__", your feedback is always welcomed and appreciated._

_While the series has alluded to the abusive relationship that Griff had with his stepfather and how it is canon that Griff was imprisoned as a consequence of actions he took as a young boy, we have worked hard in giving their history a backstory with our creation which is included in this chapter. We hope our readers and Griff fans will approve of our "fanon__"__ :-)_

_VCS _

* * *

**Chapter 17:**

Griff stirred as he felt droplets of water being sprinkled on his face. Squinting against the rays of sunlight that shone in his bloodshot eyes, he tried to make out the blurred figure that was hovering over him. His mouth was so parched that it hurt to swallow. More water droplets hit his burning face and he reached up to find its source so he could make a grab for it to quench his thirst.

The figure moved away and seemed to grow taller, forming a shadow that blanketed out the sun.

"Who? Please, water, please?" Griff croaked. He still had one arm stretched out in front of him, still seeking for the water source.

Charlie Jensen spat the tobacco from his mouth and sneered down at his stepson before he drew back his boot and slammed it as hard as he could into the young man's body.

Griff cried out as the air was violently forced out of his lungs and he was sure he felt his ribs breaking. He drew his knees up instinctively and curled his body in agony, still not comprehending what was going on and who attacked him.

"Pathetic. Just like your ma!" Charlie maliciously remarked.

The words struck a chord in Griff and broke him out of his delirium. He looked up, anger blazing in his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to jump to his feet and pummel every inch of the man who had made his life and his mother's life a misery. "Don't… Talk about her like that!" Summoning every ounce of strength remaining in his battered and feverish body, he pushed himself up to his hands and knees. It was as far as he got before the stabbing pain in his injured ribs robbed him of breath once again and he stifled a groan from escaping his lips.

"You wanna take a swing at me, boy? You just try it and see where that'll get ya! Way I see it, you're on my property and you just escaped from jail! Oh, they'll throw away the key for sure this time!" Charlie goaded. "If they don't hang ya, that is!"

Griff's breathing rate began to speed up at Charlie's threat. "Escape? I didn't… I didn't!" He thought hard, so hard it seemed to make his pounding headache worse. _I'm in jail?_ He swiveled his head back and forth, trying to orient himself. _Wasn't I? Did I break out? No, Candy was there. Candy!_ "Where's Candy?"

Jensen smacked Griff on the back so that he landed with a soft thud. "Your sodbuster friend? I took care of him."

Griff fought through a hazy fog that threatened to render him unconscious. "Is he…? No, he can't be! What'd you do to him? And why?" he cried. "Why couldn't you just leave him alone?" He struggled to contain a sob. "Why couldn't you just leave me alone?"

Charlie leaned forward, his eyes blazing and growled, "Because of what you did to me!" He pointed to his head where a patch of hair had failed to grow, and a gnarled scar stood in its place.

Griff was incredulous. Charlie had given him worse scars. The kind that was not visible, but he felt they were the worst kind. He'd trade those for Charlie's any day. "You beat me every single day you were drunk ever since Ma died!" Griff shot back. "The scars you left me I'll carry for the rest of my life!"

"Yeah? Well I ain't just talkin bout this one here!" Charlie jabbed at his scalp. "When your ma died, she left me the biggest goddamn scar that I had to feed and clothe and listen to! You, boy, was a scar that I would gladly cut out of my life! Don't know why your ma dragged you around. She shoulda killed ya before you left her belly when your pa died! Thought you were my boy till I found those letters your ma wrote to your pa while he was away. The ones that got returned to her cause he was dead! She kept those filthy letters all those years we were man and wife. She lied to me, she did! I never forgave her for that, and I'll never forgive you!" He reached out and grasped a fistful of Griff's shirt and drew him up to his face.

Griff swallowed hard as he listened to Charlie. He had always assumed his stepfather's temper stemmed from him taking up the bottle when he was a small boy of barely ten, but he never knew this story. Part of him wanted to yell out he was lying, but a fragmented piece of a childhood memory clawed its way up to the surface and it showed him a reflection of when he was even smaller, perhaps at five years of age, being picked up lovingly by Charlie. Except the Charlie he saw in this vision smiled with clean, white teeth and the whiskey was absent from his breath. Could it be that his mind was playing tricks on him in his feverish state? Or was this not really a memory but a fabricated image he had implanted in his mind to take away the pain and hatred he felt for the man who took the mantle of his father?

"Not true," Griff said, his voice wavering and low. "Not tr-true."

Charlie let go of his grip on Griff's shirt and let him fall to the floor. "What is true is that you is a no good son to nobody! You're a killer!" Charlie growled. "Escaping jail to finish the job you started all those years ago, right here in this house. And I'll prove it."

For the first since his rude awakening, Griff took in his surroundings and thought he was going to be sick. He was on the floor of the house he had once called home. The very house he grew up in. Scrambling to his feet unsteadily, he saw the front door was wide open behind Charlie. All he needed to do was get past his stepfather and he could run back to town to the jail house and explain everything to the Sheriff.

Charlie caught his stepson peering over his shoulder and smiled evilly. "Go ahead. You wanna run out that door, you gotta get past me first."

For what seemed to be an eternity neither man moved, then Griff's desperation for freedom won over and he tried to side-step Charlie but in his condition his movements were slow and poorly executed.

Jensen easily caught the younger man by the shoulders and the two of them grappled and wrestled until they fell to the floor.

Griff managed to pull away and landed a kick behind him catching Jensen in the jaw but in his weakened state, the blow was not powerful enough to stop his stepfather in his tracks for long.

Climbing to their feet, the men continued to fight their way to the door, pushing and pulling until they crashed into the old wooden dining table and Griff grabbed the only thing he could get his hands on to defend himself as his endurance wore down and Charlie's strength started to overpower him. He wrapped his fingers around the wooden handle of a kitchen knife and swung it in an arc, catching Charlie's arm. The blade slashed through the material of his sleeve and left a long gash down his forearm.

Jensen drew back and cradled his injured limb. "See, you're a killer! I knew it! I knew it!"

Horrified, Griff looked at the damage he had inflicted then at the weapon and his hand shook. Breathing heavily, he lowered the blade slightly, and circled the table until his back was facing the front door. He took several steps back until he was almost at the entrance, but a wave of dizziness washed over him and he started to sway.

Jensen took advantage of the weaker man and rushed forward.

Griff was tackled through the doorway but somehow managed to stay on his feet as Jensen grappled for the knife.

In the ensuing struggle Griff lost his grip on the wooden handle and the knife fell to the ground.

Both men made a dive for the weapon, but Griff's injured ribs protested against the movement and Jensen beat him to the weapon.

A sharp pain cut across Griff's midsection as the blade of the knife in Charlie's hand grazed his flesh, leaving a small trail of blood. He twisted away then with one last surge of adrenaline he ran toward the woods, trying to put as much distance he could between him and Charlie before he succumbed to his injuries and the pain that would follow.

Jensen held up the blood smeared knife and stood, panting, as he watched his stepson disappear between the trees. He could easily have chased down the badly injured boy just as easily as he could have finished him at any of the chances he had from the jail house to the fight in his home, but that wasn't part of his plan.

"That's real good, boy. Just perfect." Grinning, Charlie wiped the blade off with his shirt and braced himself for what he was about to do to himself. "Cutting me up and running away. It's like you want to be hanged."


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks to our wonderful readers! We hope this story continues to entertain!**

* * *

**Chapter 18:**

"This is it," Adam announced as he and the two other men rode into the town of Billings. "We're here."

"It ain't much," George commented to Lucas.

Lucas nodded sharply. "We gotta find the Sheriff. The jail's down that way," he pointed, leading his bay horse in front of his companions.

Adam stroked Sport's ear as he followed Lucas. "Good boy," he crooned, grateful for his horse's obedience and dependability.

It wasn't long before they pulled up to the jailhouse. Lucas's horse was barely still before he dismounted, and Adam was not far behind him. "George, would you mind watering them, please? Hopefully this'll be quick, but if it's not, just meet us back here after putting them up in the stables."

George said, "Absolutely," as he began to collect the three tired animals and bring them to a trough.

"Much obliged," Adam said over his shoulder as he walked up the steps to the jail, but Lucas put his arm out to stop the Cartwright in his tracks.

"There he is! Monaghan!" Lucas pointed to a man walking across the street, his tin badge catching the sunlight. "The town sheriff. He had it out for Griff as soon as we set foot in this hellhole."

"Take it easy," Adam advised as they changed direction to catch up with the sheriff. "We need him to cooperate with us, not feel antagonized."

"Hey!" Lucas called out before he and Adam closed the distance between themselves and the Sheriff. "Sheriff, we need to talk to you!"

Sheriff Monaghan could not believe what he saw. The third accomplice of the stolen medicine right in front of him, brazenly demanding his attention, no less! "You!" he gasped. "My God, what is it with you people? King can't stay put, Canaday's claiming a kidnapping..." The Sheriff struggled to keep everything straight in his head. "Are you back here to turn yourself in? Would make about as much sense as everything else going on around here."

Before Lucas could respond, Adam pulled him aside with a supportive hand on his shoulder then looked the Sheriff in the eye. "My name is Adam Cartwright. My companions and I travelled a long way from Virginia City to help friends of ours who are in my father's employ. I've come bearing all the necessary documents to straighten things out as there seems to be a confusion of sorts. Perhaps we can speak in your office?" Adam requested calmly gesturing toward the jail house.

* * *

Griff's dash to freedom was short lived as his body took stock of his injuries and the last of his adrenaline was quickly spent. The world spun and black spots danced in his eyes, before he fell and rolled down a small decline.

He fought to stay conscious but it was a losing battle and before he could even tell himself to stay awake, darkness claimed him.

* * *

While Adam had wanted to speak in the sheriff's office to have some privacy, he was greeted by both Jeremiah and Doctor Grandesmithe pacing around the room.

"What is it now?" Sheriff Monaghan burst. "This whole town is falling apart today."

"Ahh, Sheriff," Jeremiah stated, taking a few steps forward. "I need to talk to you about the boy who was being held here. I demand that you do your duty and look at these papers I have found. Refusal is obstruction of justice!"

Dr. Grandesmithe bobbed his head up and down. "Indeed, indeed," he interjected. "And I'd like to have a word with you about Candy's injury…"

"Jeremiah!" Lucas recalled. "How's your daughter?" He asked, respectfully remembering she had taken ill and hopeful her condition had not worsened.

"Candy's injury?" Adam repeated simultaneously. "What injury? Is he okay?"

"One at a time, one at a time!" Monaghan shouted over the overlapping voices. "Now, they got to me first." He gestured to Adam and Lucas. "Go."

Adam produced some papers from his breast pocket. "These are from my father, Ben Carwright, explaining the epidemic situation in Virginia City and the men who arrived to obtain the yellow fever antitoxin." He passed the papers to Monaghan. "One of the men is currently on parole-"

"King," the sheriff provided.

"Yes, Griff King," confirmed Adam. "Apparently they were denied the medicine because of Griff's past here?" He paused to let the illogicalness of the situation sink in for everyone listening. "You can imagine, Sheriff, why that might have pushed Griff to act as he did, given the desperation of the situation. Now, we're here to verify his identity, status as a parolee, and hopefully get him and our foreman Candy Canaday out of your jail. Candy, who is apparently injured?" Adam said in a cool voice, betraying the anger he felt at the idea of his good friend being hurt.

"Well, about that," Monaghan mumbled. "I wasn't on the premise when that happened. I was going to fetch a doctor for King."

"Griff's hurt, too?!" Lucas said. "What kinda place are you running here?" he questioned in disgust, pushing his way past everyone else to reach the cells behind the office. "Candy," he sighed, seeing the dark, protruding bruise on his friend's forehead. "Are you okay?"

"Lucas!" Candy smiled, standing. A wave of dizziness made him stagger, but he used a wall to steady himself. "What are you doing here?" Then his heart swelled when he saw more familiar faces following behind Lucas. "Adam, too!" he beamed. "Boy, I sure am glad to see you both!"

"Candy, don't worry," Adam reassured. "We're doing everything to help you and Griff to get back home. I…" Adam trailed off, surprised to see an empty cell next to Candy. "Where's Griff?"

Candy swore as the image of the man who attacked him returned to his mind's eye. "His stepfather, Charlie Jensen. He took him!"

"What?" Adam was surprised and confused. Why would Griff's stepfather go through such lengths?

"Yeah, knocked me out cold… must've been early this morning… I think… I don't know. How long was I out?" Candy asked groggily.

"I don't know, we just got here," Adam replied then he turned to the Sheriff behind him, "What happened? How did Jensen get in here and attack men who were supposed to be under your watch?"

"Now hold on just a minute! Say I believe this crazy story you folks are all sayin', you can't just come busting in here telling me how to do my job!" Monaghan snapped heatedly.

"I wouldn't have to if you knew how to do it properly!" Adam propelled. "Now, where can we find this Charlie Jensen?"

"I left to search for a doctor because King said he was real sick!" Monaghan's face reddened at the reprimand he had just been given. But truth be told, things were far less complicated before these strange folk rode into his town and if working with Adam Cartwright will make them all go back where they came from real quick, then so be it. Having sighted the legal papers that Adam produced, the last thing he wanted to deal with were big shot lawyers. It was obvious whoever the Cartwrights were, they were well within their means to afford a legal battle that would bring Billings to their knees and even cost him his badge. He opened the cell door, gesturing to Candy that he was free to go. "Alright, alright, go on, you're free to go."

Candy took slow steps, breathing a sigh of relief he did not realize he had been holding while contained.

"Makes sense, makes perfect sense!" Jeremiah declared, waving the papers he had found in the saddlebags to corroborate their story. "You refused to look at these earlier," the man explained sadly. "But don't you see what they say? That boy has been wrongly imprisoned all along!"

Sheriff Monaghan chewed his lip, wishing he had some tobacco to calm his nerves instead. The evidence stared at him in the face. He had been wrong all along, and even if he did not like King or think well of him, the sheriff paled at the thought of his mistake causing the young man's death and the image it would paint him as. "Charlie Jensen has a small spread about two miles out of town, though you're more likely to find him sobering up in someone else's barn. He don't work his own land much, just enough to get by."

"Not this time. I think Jensen will have taken Griff back home," Candy disagreed. "He wants to make Griff suffer, and what better way than to bring him to the very place where his nightmares first began?"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Lucas prompted. He was deeply worried for his friend and hoped that they would reach him in time before any permanent damage was inflicted. Lucas had already put his hat back on and departed to fill George in about these developments.

"Jeremiah, thank you for these," Adam said. "You have done so much to help, and we truly appreciate it."

"Adam, wait." Candy stretched out his arm to tug on the eldest Cartwright's shirt. "Monaghan is telling the truth. Before he left, Griff was acting awful funny. I thought it was…" He swallowed a sudden feeling of nausea before continuing. "Thought it was jailhouse fever. You know how Griff gets- antsy, agitated."

Adam nodded, encouraging Candy to continue.

"I didn't think anything was really wrong with him, until Griff kept deteriorating. I never seen him like that, but I should have realized, I should have seen it." He paused to take a shaky breath. "Griff claimed he had yellow fever, and I believe he does. You gotta find him as soon as possible, you hear? That is, if he's not already... " Candy's gaze dipped to the floor. "I know how fast it can happen, and I know being there with Charlie ain't helping anything."

"We'll find him, Candy. You know we will." Candy nodded silently, gripping his head at the pain that accompanied movement. "Doc?" Adam called. "Would you mind keeping an eye on Candy? You can put him up in a hotel and we'll take care of the expense."

"I'd like Candy to rest in the backroom of my office, just for observation. We wouldn't want that concussion getting any worse, now would we?" Dr. Grandesmithe smiled. "And Mr. Cartwright, take a bottle on antitoxin with you. Get him started on the doses as fast as you can." He turned to Candy's weary form. "I bet you're itching to get out of this cell, aren't you?"

"I really am," Candy mumbled, allowing himself to be led away with the doctor helping him walk. Jeremiah lent a hand to get Candy settled, as well. Satisfied, Adam joined Lucas and George, with Sheriff Monaghan leading the way to Charlie Jensen's farm.


	19. Chapter 19

**A short update for today. Thanks to all!**

* * *

**Chapter 19:**

Griff wasn't sure how long he'd been lying in the dirt and undergrowth, but he knew he couldn't stay where he was. In his present condition, he figured he was going to have to find some place safe to rest until he could regain enough strength to travel. There was no way he could go to town to explain himself to the Sheriff, and he couldn't return to Virginia City. He feared that by now his step-father would have already spread the word that he had escaped from jail._ Where else could I go?_ He wondered.

Sitting up slowly, he leaned his back against a tree trunk when a sharp pain right below his ribs made him gasp. Looking down, he carefully lifted his bloodstained shirt saw a long gash across his stomach. With a trembling hand, he checked the wound and while it didn't appear to be deep it was still bleeding freely. Closing his eyes, he pondered his next move. _That's it! _He snapped his eyes open again as he recalled a place from his past that he could go to. It was not too far from Charlie's property and no one would think to check the abandoned line shack, or so Griff thought.

Griff trekked onwards, gripping nearby trees for support as he staggered towards the line shack. He stopped at the stream that resided beside it, drinking his fill. His whole body shook at the cold sensation that travelled from his hands into his spine. The shock disoriented Griff for a moment, and he thought hard to remember where he was.

"Charlie's line shack. Yellow Fever. Medicine. Jail," he repeated to himself stoically. The words helped slow his breathing and remind himself that he was not living with Charlie, nor hiding from another beating like he would have done as a child. He was an adult, who survived Charlie's abuse once and could again. He just needed to get into the line shack and figure out what his next step would be.

Griff did haul himself into the line shack. And he had no idea as to what his next step had to be.

"Help…" he whispered softly.

* * *

When the four riders came into full view from Charlie Jensen's window, Jensen moved into position, wincing in pain as he did. He lay himself on the floor beside the upturned table and waited.

It was clear that the group of men which included the Sheriff were searching for his good for nothing step-son and he was going to help them find the boy.

Voices calling out his name were joined with persistent knocking.

Charlie let out an exaggerated groan and called out, "In here! I'm in here! Help me, please!"

Sheriff Monaghan rushed through the cabin door and saw Charlie writhing in pain on the floor surrounded by signs of a violent struggle. Chairs and the table were upended, broken china scattered across the floor.

All four men entered and were shocked at the scene.

Monaghan hurried to knelt beside Charlie and quickly checked his injuries. There were gashes on the man's arms and his clothes were bloody and torn. "What the hell happened here?"

"The boy... Griff... He did this to me. He busted in here and attacked me. We fought and he came at me with a knife!" Charlie lied.

"Griff wouldn't do that! He's lyin'!" Lucas blurted out loudly.

Charlie appeared to struggle to hands and knees and croaked, "Go on and look around. The boy ain't here and you won't find no knife either! He's armed, Sheriff! Who knows what he'll do next?" Unbeknownst to anyone else, Charlie had ensured to hide the weapon under the mattress of his bed. _They'll never find it!_

Lucas started toward Charlie, his jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists but George and Adam's firm hands held him at bay.

"Where is he?" Adam demanded.

"How am I supposed to know?" Charlie shrugged.

"Charlie, you should know the boy more than anybody else. Now, where could he taken off to?" Monaghan questioned sternly.

"Well, there's a line shack not far from here, just south. Reckon he coulda gone there, but I can't be sure, Sheriff. Boy's got a mean streak, and he's mighty unpredictable," Charlie continued. "Maybe afflicted in the head."

"Here, this'll stop the bleeding." Monaghan squatted so he could place his handkerchief onto the wounds that marred Charlie's wrist. "That line shack better be mighty close. I saw the condition King was in," Monaghan mused. "He couldn't have gotten far."

Lucas pulled at Adam's sleeve and said in an urgent voice, "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Adam gave a short nod, gesturing to that they should all head out.

"Someone needs to stay here with him," Adam pointed at Jensen, clearly not trusting the man.

"I will. And have a good, long talk with Charlie," Lucas volunteered with a hint of a threat behind his words.

"Lucas, I think it best if you come with us. Without Candy here, I'm going to need your help to bring him home," Adam disagreed, knowing full well that Lucas was not in the right state of mind to be looking after Charlie, and he would do more harm than good if he were to lose his temper. "George, stay here and wait for us." Then pulling George to one side he added quietly so that Charlie could not hear, "Griff's life and his freedom depends on keeping Charlie alive, you hear? You and I and I reckon even Sheriff Monaghan knows it, that low-life is lying through his teeth about what happened."

George nodded and gave his word that he would not lay a hand on Jensen.

Satisfied with the arrangement, Monaghan led the way out of the cabin with Adam and Lucas at his heels.


	20. Chapter 20

Thanks to all of our loyal readers. We hope you enjoy this exciting installment!

* * *

**Chapter 20:**

_At least Charlie's directions were accurate_, Adam thought to himself. Sure enough, they did spot a tiny line shack a mile away from Charlie's house. They pushed their horses into a full run and dismounted before they came to a full stop. Lucas swiftly secured their horses to a hitching post while Adam and Monaghan hurried to the shack. The grime that covered the windows obscured their views and they had no way of getting a look inside to see if Griff were even in there, but the sound of shuffling feet and click of a firearm being cocked drew their attention.

"Griff? Is that you?" Adam called out. "Are you in there, Griff?"

No answer.

"Boy, if you don't come out with your hands in the air, we're comin' in, you hear?" Monaghan hollered much to Adam and Lucas's disapproving glare.

Still no answer but a hacking cough gave away the presence of someone very sick.

"That's gotta be Griff!" Lucas declared.

Monaghan positioned himself at the front door, drew his revolver and checked it was fully loaded.

"Sheriff, you best keep in mind that boy's sick and injured!" Adam reprimanded.

"And armed! Or did you not hear what I heard?" Monaghan shot back. "Look, you have my word I won't harm a hair on that kid's head so long as the two of you can make sure he cooperates! Is that clear, Cartwright?"

"Crystal," Adam consented.

"Alright, King, we're coming in!" Monaghan shouted through the door.

The trio stormed the cabin, only to face the barrel of a rifle. Each froze in their tracks and put their hands up to pacify the shaky figure pointing the weapon in their faces.

"Don't… D-don't come closer," Griff ordered, coughing so hard that he almost knocked himself over. Adam took a large step towards Griff, getting ready to catch him if he collapsed, but Griff gripped the gun harder to steady it.

The young man held the weapon somewhat awkwardly, his finger trembling over the trigger. "Stay back!"

"Put down that rifle, son," the Sheriff sternly warned. "There ain't nowhere you can go."

"Griff, do as the sheriff says and everything will be alright, I promise," Adam Cartwright pleaded. His heart clenched at the sight of Griff's torn and bloodied shirt, the tremors coursing through his body and desperation in the young man's blue eyes, which were bloodshot and unfocused.

"We're leaving here with that medicine," Griff said distantly. He swallowed, a feeling of deja vu washing over him. His fevered brain struggled to remember why he was holding a gun against these people. The epidemic, Joe, Virginia City depended on him…

"We got the medicine," Lucas gently supplied. "You did it, Griff. So come on, just put that gun down, huh? It's us - Lucas and Adam."

"Please, I don't wanna hurt anyone anymore!" Griff burst. "I'm…" He kept the rifle in his right hand so that his left could rub his temple. Recent memories assaulted his mind and he fought hard to organize them in a way that made sense. Griff's watering eyes travelled over each person in front of him but the one man he sought was not among them. "Candy. Where's Candy?"

Adam debated what to tell Griff. On one hand, he wanted to keep things simple so that Griff could understand what he was saying. On the other, Adam hated to lie or worse, have his lie potentially send Griff further into his delusion.

Anticipating that things could go south very quickly, Monaghan held his pistol levelled at the youth's chest, a steady finger positioned over the trigger, ready to squeeze down and end the stand-off.

"He's… he couldn't be here, but I can tell ya he wanted to," Lucas replied after swallowing the hard lump in his throat and shrugging at Adam.

"We'll take you to him, but you've got to put down the gun first," Adam insisted, his tone getting more serious. "Now, Griff." He took a tentative step forward, noticing Griff seemed to be losing his grip on consciousness while at the same time the young man's trigger finger twitched dangerously. "Put the gun down now!"

Monaghan didn't figure the situation was going to play out as planned and decided he needed to take control before the fool of a boy killed someone even if it was unintentional. "Enough of this! King, I'm gonna count to five and if you don't put that rifle down," the lawman started when the two men on either side of him interrupted in a chorus of objections. "We're taking you outta here, dead or alive!"

The last phrase rang around in Griff's skull. "No, No!" Griff's finger tightened on the trigger and he tried to steady his aim at the sheriff, who had started to slowly advance toward him. "I am not going back to prison! I can't!" He fought through a coughing fit to continue. "God, I didn't do anything. Whatever I did, I didn't mean it! I just… I just don't know anymore… what I did… I don't… But please, I can't go back to the hell box!" he rambled. "I just wanna go home."

But Sheriff Monaghan steeled himself and pushed the pleas aside. He had seen young men in King's place before and had lost a deputy all because he had hesitated to make the call. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again. He couldn't. He shouldn't.

Then why was it so for Monaghan difficult to make that choice now? Hadn't he learned from his past mistakes? "Damnit, King, put that rifle down! Don't you see there ain't no way this can end good for you?"

"Hold it! Get back!" Griff ordered in a raspy voice. "Candy, please!"

Lucas swallowed the bile down when he heard Griff call out Candy's name as if the kid was seeing him right there standing with them.

Griff was too consumed by fear and delirious from the fever that plagued him that he barely realized he had raised the weapon in his hands when he felt it slipping from his grip. "Oh…" he moaned. "He's wrong. I don't belong in jail." Griff sounded despondent, as if he were trying to convince himself Charlie's analysis of his character were inaccurate, not the other men. "I don't belong there, Charlie!"

"Griff, it's Adam. Charlie's not here and you won't have to see him again. Come on, let's go home, huh? Whaddya say, buddy?" Adam extended his hand as he spoke and forced a consoling smile to light up his face. "I promise you're safe with us. Griff, listen to me. You're sick. We just want to help you."

"I ain't going back to jail!" Griff cried, looking around wildly and raising the rifle up as if he might start shooting.

"Wait!" Lucas and Adam simultaneously erupted.

"Don't do it!" Monaghan snapped, his own fingers tightening on the trigger of his revolver.

"Sheriff!" Adam said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, I'm not making the same mistake again," Monaghan said in a low voice. Perspiration started to drip down the side of his brow. His mind conjured the images of Deputy Benton's last moments on earth then flashed to his wife's beautiful face before the fire melted it away.

"One. Two. King, last chance! Thr-"

Every breath was held.


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you to all our reviewers for continuing with this story and forgiving us for that cliffhanger last chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 21:**

Adam made his decision and prayed it would not be the last one he would be making in his life. He leaped forward, placing himself between Monaghan and Griff.

"Cartwright! Out of my way!" the Sheriff yelled. "We don't know what he might do!"

"I didn't mean to steal the medicine, but what choice did I have?" Griff thought hard to come up with an answer to his own question, but he could not produce one. "I didn't know what else to do. And now… n-now I'll go back forever…" His arm slowly lowered, but his finger was still firmly resting over the trigger.

"You're not going back to prison!" Adam reiterated.

Monaghan was about to make his next move when Lucas grabbed his arm and shook his head, whispering, "Give 'em a chance, Sheriff, please. Griff ain't gonna hurt nobody."

Monaghan breathed out heavily but nodded and held his stance at the ready. _Come on, kid, I don't want to shoot you, but I will if I have to_, he thought solemnly.

Adam closed his fingers over the barrel of the rifle, pushed it downward and carefully wrestled it out of Griff's slackened grasp. He lowered the weapon to the floor and kicked it aside.

Griff took a step forward, all the fight leaving his wavering body, and fell straight into Adam's arms. "Please, don't take me back." He struggled to take a full breath, half-coughing and half-weeping into the fabric of Adam's black shirt.

Adam moved quickly to support Griff's head. Before he could respond to Griff's pleas, Sheriff Monaghan vocalized his thoughts, stowing away his pistol in his holster.

"Don't you worry, Cartwright." He could not pull his eyes away from Griff's shaking, nearly unconscious body, curled up against Adam, who held him fast. It was clear the boy was in no condition to harm anyone and probably wasn't in the condition to harm Jensen either. "He ain't going back to jail. I'll make sure of it this time." Now all he needed to do was prove Jensen a liar and discredit his claim which wouldn't be easy given there were no witnesses, but perhaps paying another him another visit could loosen his tongue or there may be something at the property that could be used as evidence.

"Help me flip him over, Lucas," Adam gently suggested and the two men worked to get Griff onto his back. Adam pulled the bottle of antitoxin out of his pocket and uncorked it with his teeth.

Seeing what Adam was about to do, Lucas scooted towards Griff's head and lifted the young man's shoulders against his own so he would not choke on the liquid. "Open up Griff," Adam instructed as he poured the medicine down Griff's throat.

Griff coughed weakly, but he managed to swallow the medicine, much to Adam's and Lucas's relief.

"Think it'll work?" Lucas asked anxiously as he gingerly put Griff's head back onto the dirt floor of the line shack.

Adam sighed deeply. "All we can do is hope."

"Adam?" Griff croaked weakly. "Where's...where's Candy?"

Adam gave the young man a reassuring smile. "He's back in town waiting for you with a great big lump on his head, but he's gonna be fine and so are you."

Satisfied to hear that while Candy was hurt, he was going to be alright, Griff sighed in relief until the pain erupting through his entire body reminded him of the fight between him and Charlie. His attempts to rise were hindered by firm hands on his shoulders pushing him back down gently. "Charlie… He…" A coughing fit stopped him in his tracks. He wrapped an arm around himself as pain flared through his ribs and midsection. With a groan, Griff allowed himself to ease back down on the dirt floor.

"Easy, easy, just lie still," Adam soothed.

"He's bleeding," Sheriff Monghan observed. He knelt down beside Adam. "Lucas, see if you can find something we can use to help clean the wound and stop the bleeding."

The ranch hand didn't need to be told twice. He hastily searched the shack for water, whiskey and rags.

"Lift up his shirt," Monaghan instructed.

Adam moved Griff's arm away from his midsection and lifted up his bloodstained shirt. Surprised to see there were already bandages binding his lower chest, he carefully unwrapped them, revealing a long cut that ran across the upper part of the young man's belly.

Monaghan checked the wound eliciting a cry of pain from Griff.

"Easy, just try to relax," Adam coaxed.

"Well, he's lucky. I'm no doctor but I reckon any deeper, he'd be in real trouble," Monaghan surmised. He continued to check the young man's other injuries. "Looks like he busted his ribs."

"Or someone busted them for him," Lucas supplied. "Can he make it back to town?" He passed the strips of cloth he found and a canteen of water to Adam.

"I don't know," the sheriff admitted. "But we've got to try. I think he should see Dr Grandesmithe as soon as possible. Besides, this line shack can't sustain him for long."

"You're right," Adam said. "It's a relatively short trip. We'll go as slow as we need to make the ride smooth for him, but we have to get him back to Billings."

"Back to Billings," Griff echoed, flipping his head back and forth. "Back to B-Billings. I don't wanna go back…"

Adam placed his hand over Griff's forehead, both to steady the sick man's movements and to provide him with a comforting human touch that would hopefully snap him out of whatever fevered delusion he was experiencing. With Lucas's help he managed to clean then bind Griff's wound and rewrapped his ribs.

"Sitting here ain't doing him no favors," Sheriff Monaghan said brusquely. Only Adam noticed that Monaghan had his neck turned to the side at an awkward angle, presumably because he couldn't bear to look at Griff's suffering any longer. "You'd best get going. Get King to the doc as quick as you can. Do you remember the way back to Billings from here?"

"Sure," Lucas answered. "Ain't you coming with us?"

"I think I best ride back to Jensen's place. There ain't nothing I can do for King now that you two can't. Besides, I'll tell that feller you left there about Griff." He placed his hat back on his head. "And," he added under his breath. "I'm gonna get some answers from Jensen."

"Thank you, Sheriff," Adam added sincerely. "For all your help."

Monaghan was taken aback by Adam's genuine appreciation, but he ignored the statement. "I'll meet you in town when I get there," he said over his shoulder as he headed out the line shack and back to Jensen's ranch.

"Let's get Griff settled on Sport," Adam suggested. "Grab his ankles, will you? I'll stay at his head."

Together they were able to get Griff mounted with Adam seated behind him to ensure the barely conscious youth did not fall off.

* * *

Jensen gazed out the window intently, obviously anxious to catch any sign of his companions returning with his step-son. "You got any sons, George?"

George, who was a hardened labourer of middle years shook his head and turned to face Jensen. "My wife died giving birth to our daughter. She died, too," he replied bitterly.

"Hmph. Well I ain't got nobody neither," Jensen said, trying to read this George fellow.

"How could you sit there and talk like that? I don't know you Mister, but I don't wanna talk to ya no more ya hear?" George angrily responded, pointing a warning finger at Jensen.

"And you're in my house, on my property! Don't you be telling me what to do!" Jensen barked, rising to his feet.

"I'm warning you, Jensen! Sit down and shut your big fat mouth or I'll…" George started but stopped himself when he realized what Jensen was doing and the promise he made to keep Griff out of jail.

"You'll what? Go on, take your best shot and see where that'll get ya! Or should I say, where it'll get that boy you're all trying to protect like cotton wool!" Jensen challenged.

"The boy's as good as your son!"

"He ain't no son of mine! No sirree, he ain't nobody's! And I'll see it he stays that way!" Jensen continued maliciously.

George was at a loss for words. This man deserved a fist in his mouth, but he knew he had to control his temper. Adam trusted him to do just that and he wasn't going to let him down.

Right on cue, the two men heard a horse galloping toward the little house.

Sheriff Monaghan entered the house with his hand at his hip, just in case he needed to draw quickly. "Howdy, Charlie," he greeted coolly. "George."

"What's the story, Sheriff?" George asked tensely. "Did you find Griff? Was he okay?"

The Sheriff held up his hand to silence George. "Yes," he confirmed curtly. Monaghan was not sure just how much information he should divulge to Charlie about Griff's physical and mental state. He wanted to get to the bottom of what had happened at that jail cell in his absence, and Monaghan knew that Charlie might have to be indulged so to speak for him to admit to anything truthful. "We did, and he's on his way back to town."

"Does that mean he's going back to jail?" Charlie beamed.

Monaghan thought carefully about his next words. "I'll be meeting him when I get back there."

"Good, only place he belongs," Charlie snarled.

"My God!" George burst, horrified. "You mean to tell me that after everything that's happened you still think Griff could've busted himself out? Unbelievable!" The ranch hand threw his arms in the air.

"Now, just so I can make a report, can you tell me everything that happened again, Jensen?" Monaghan requested.

"Sure can, sure can," Charlie eagerly obliged. "Early this mornin', Griff came in here, hooting and hollering about how he was gonna finish what he started all those years ago. You remember him attacking me with that pick axe, don't you? You was a deputy back then. Well, it was just like that. Just like that, except, it was with a knife. I tried to defend myself, see?" He held up his arms pathetically. "But he was a maniac. I barely escaped and locked myself in the bedroom. Don't know why he ran, but I was real afraid he'd jump out and kill me dead that time. He was armed with a great big knife. Probably took off with it. I was plumb lucky you come along when you did."

"What a load of horse-" George muttered under his breath.

"I see," Monaghan responded, ignoring George completely. "And did you injure Griff at all during your fight here?"

"Well, I don't rightly know. I was fightin' to keep him away from me," Charlie lied. "If I hurt him I sure didn't mean it but I was too scared for my life!"

"Oh, I noticed some wounds on Griff when we found him in the line shack," Monghan sighed nonchalantly. "Didn't look like he got 'em chasin' somebody, especially if he was the one holdin' the knife that you just claimed he had. No, they looked to me like somebody was tryin' to hurt him real bad. Maybe not bad enough to kill him right away but real slow and painful, if you catch my drift."

"No siree, I don't know what you mean." Charlie denied.

"Are you supposing that he could've gotten those before he even reached your farm?" George interjected drily.

"Yes, that must be it!" said Charlie, so relieved that the other man had provided him with a feasible excuse that would satisfy the sheriff. "In fact, you are right!" He snapped his fingers. "Griff did have those wounds in that jail cell. I remember now. Looked like someone tried to gut the boy, but I had nothing to do with it, nothing at all."

"That's very interesting, Charlie," Sheriff Monaghan stated with no emotion. "And how is it that you remember seeing the specifics of Griff's injuries at that jailhouse when you just claimed he showed up at your door?"

The colour drained from Charlie's face as he realized he had said too much. "I never said...Sheriff, now how could I know...I mean, the boy must've already been hurt in your cell since that was the condition he was in when he showed up!"

"No, you said you saw his wounds while he was in jail yet I don't recall you ever visitin'," Monaghan accused cooly. "You know what, Charlie? I reckon you're lyin' to me."

"Think whatever you like, Sheriff! Ain't no way you're gonna pin any wrong doin' on me!" Charlie said defiantly. "Boy tried to kill me!"

"If that be the case, we didn't find no knife on 'im! Now, I'm no bettin' man but I wager I'll find that knife in here somewhere and when I do, you and I will be continuing our conversation back at the jail house!" Monaghan threatened.

Charlie blanched and stood staring wide eyed at the Sheriff. How could he not take his word for it? He, of all people?

"George, I'm deputising you. Keep an eye on 'im while I search this place," Monaghan instructed, fishing out a badge from his pocket and flipping it into the other man's hand.

"Don't you worry, Sheriff, I'll keep an eye on this one," George said, accepting his duty eagerly.

"Wait! You can't do this! You have no right!" Charlie spluttered and tried to step in front of the lawman to bar his way but George planted a meaty hand on his chest and pushed him back.

"You heard the Sheriff, Charlie. Best you stay clear of his way. Like you said, boy had the knife when he ran so it ain't like we'd be findin' it here, ain't it Sheriff?" George toyed.

"That's right, George!" Monaghan called over his shoulder as he rummaged through the kitchen drawers. It was likely the knife belonged to Charlie and given his living circumstances he was lucky to even afford a knife so if the weapon was in that house, it had to be the one in question. It was just a matter of finding it and since Jensen was slippery as a snake, he wouldn't be surprised if the bastard had hidden it somewhere less conspicuous. Be it as it may, he was prepared to turn the cabin inside out until he found it.


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks to our lovely readers!**

**Chapter 22:**

"How's he doing?" Lucas asked for what seemed to Adam like the hundredth time since their leaving the line shack.

Adam tilted his head to get a better look at the sick man sitting in front of him on Sport. Griff was pale, shaking slightly, and his ragged gasps were interrupted periodically only by coughs or a few garbled words. He was slumped over so much that his chin was touching his chest, bobbing up and down with Sport's footfalls.

The oldest Cartwright subconsciously tightened his one-armed grip he held around Griff's waist to keep him upright on the saddle and used his other hand to click the reins so Sport would hurry.

"The same," Adam finally answered with no discernible emotion. "Just hang on, Griff," he added in a hushed tone. All Adam could think about was how brave Griff had been to sacrifice his freedom to obtain the medicine for Virginia City. Adam was determined not to let Griff succumb to the very same disease from which he saved his father, Joe, and countless others.

Lucas kicked the flanks of his horse so he would not fall behind Adam. He took a long look at Griff and felt a shiver overcome him. "Maybe he needs more of that medicine?"

Adam shook his head. "Not for another hour or so. We should be back to town by then. We wouldn't want to risk overdosing him."

Lucas did not break his gaze away from Griff. "I guess that's good."

Griff's head started to fall forward before he gained enough awareness of his muscles to counteract that movement by throwing his head backwards, resting on Adam's chest.

"Griff?" Lucas called. "You with us?"

The young man's eyes opened, staring at the bright sun and tearing slightly. "Lucas," he mumbled. "Lucas, do wh't I s-say… 'lse I'll shoot. I swear I'll d-do it," he sighed. "Gotta… gotta g't th' med'cine…"

"You got it," Adam gently whispered. "Just rest now, buddy. You got the medicine. Everything's fine."

Griff did not acknowledge Adam; he continued to stare forward, head still angled backwards onto Adam's broad chest.

"Yeah, fine and dandy," Lucas remarked bitterly.

Adam chose not to respond to his obviously frustrated friend. They continued making their way to Billings in silence.

* * *

Back at the doctor's office, Candy tried to get some rest but it was proving to be impossible between worrying for his young friend and the fierce headache courtesy of Jensen when he had knocked him out.

Jeremiah brought some hot tea for the foreman who gratefully took sipped the hot liquid before he lay back down on the bed.

"I'm sure they will return with the young man soon," Jeremiah reassured.

"I hope so. Trouble's always got a way of findin' Griff. Ain't his fault life's always kickin' him in the teeth," Candy said glumly.

"It never is," Jeremiah lamented.

Candy managed to position himself upright and rubbed the back of his aching neck. "You know, I really appreciate you going out of your way to help us like you did," Candy said. "You got me out of that cell, maybe saved Griff's life. How can we ever repay you?"

"Oh, please," Jeremiah scoffed, a little embarrassed at the praise. "It was the right thing to do. Nothing to repay."

"I think Ben Cartwright'll disagree with that," Candy responded under his breath. He cleared his throat and rubbed at his temple. "I mean, well, thank you. Truly."

"I could say the same to you and your friends for helping us find Billings. I shudder to think what might have happened to Ruby if we had not run into you." Jeremiah could see Candy's eyes drifting shut for longer and longer periods. He gently tugged the mug out of Candy's slackening grasp. "In fact, I think I'll stop by the hotel to check on her and Maria. I'll be back soon. Perhaps you could take the opportunity to get some sleep, hmm?" He quietly backed out of the room, not wanting to disturb Candy as he relaxed. The foreman had been so nervous for so long, but Jeremiah knew eventually his body would give in to the pain and exhaustion.

"M'kay," Candy stated without opening his mouth. This time when his eyes shut, they stayed closed.

* * *

Having gone through all the drawers and cupboards in the house, Sheriff Monaghan could not locate the evidence he needed to free Griff from the injustice that held him accountable for his actions. He began to wonder if Charlie was smart enough to have buried the weapon in question. If so, then unless he made a mess of a job, it was going to be a near impossible task to find exactly where it was buried. With a sigh of frustration he decided it was worth the effort to at least check the grounds surrounding the property. "Where d'ya bury the knife, Charlie?"

"I told ya, the boy took off with it!" Jensen shot back defensively.

"George, I'm gonna take a look around out there. Don't let him out of your sight!" Monaghan instructed as he started for the door but George's voice stopped him.

"Wait! Let me try something, Sheriff," George called out.

"What did you have in mind?" Monaghan asked curiously.

"I think I might know where he'd be hidin' it," George said.

"Alright, go ahead but I've already searched this place," Monaghan agreed, though without much conviction.

George searched the cabin for loosened wall panels, under the chairs disturbances to the floor then he went into the bedroom and looked around for any possible place the Sheriff could have missed. "Come on, George, think. You've hidden a lot of things when you was a kid," the ranch hand said to himself. When his eyes scanned over the bed, he caught sight of something that didn't look quite right. There was a tear in the side of the mattress that looked too neat to have been a result of old age. It looked oddly familiar to a method he had used as a boy when he hid a slingslot he made. His pa would have had his hide if he discovered it, especially since he had accidentally broken his neighbour's window with a misfired shot.

George bent down and dug his fingers through the slit carefully. _Gotcha!_ "Sheriff!"

Monaghan's attention was momentarily diverted by George's holler that he took his eyes off Charlie.

Taking advantage of his window to escape, Jensen made a dash for the door, ignoring the Sheriff's shouts. He had almost reached his horse when a shot rang out and a fiery pain hit his thigh and with a scream his leg gave way.

"I told ya to stay put, Charlie!" Monaghan yelled from the front door of the cabin. "I'll shoot again if you don't!"

"Oh, my leg!" Charlie yowled from the ground. "You shot me in the leg!" He sat up to get a better look at the wound. There was a small entrance hole in the back of the right calf and a larger exit wound in the front of the leg. Both bled freely. "My leg, there's so much blood. You mighta killed me, Sheriff! I oughta see you behind bars, too!"

Geroge and Sheriff Monaghan strolled over to Charlie, knife in hand. Both men were sickened when they realized Charlie had not even bothered to wipe off the blood coating the blade, now dried and crusty.

Griff's blood.

"Oh, that's n-not mine," Charlie stuttered. "George musta planted it!" Even Charlie could hear how absurd that lie was. "Err, I mean, I use it for dinner?"

"Charlie Jensen, you're under arrest," the Sheriff reported, obtaining his handcuffs from his belt. He tied his handkerchief around Charlie's leg like a tourniquet, ignoring the man's cries of pain in between excuses to explain away the knife. "Deputy, would you mind tying him to a horse and helping me take him back to town? We got a jail cell with Charlie Jensen's name on it."

"With pleasure," Geroge agreed, roughly hoisting Charlie to his feet and shoving him towards the horses.


	23. Chapter 23

**Thanks to our wonderful readers! Sorry for this later update. We hope its contents make up for our tardiness.**

* * *

**Chapter 23:**

It was late in the afternoon by the time Adam, Lucas and a semi-conscious Griff had made it back to town. They wasted no time heading straight for the doctor's office.

Doctor Grandsmithe, who had managed to get a few hours of sleep, was awoken by the persistent knocking on his door, followed by his nurse's voice. Quickly washing his face at the wash basin, he dried off and then headed downstairs.

"Doctor, I'm sorry, I tried to tell them you weren't available…" the young nurse began, but Dr. Grandsmithe held up his hand and smiled wearily.

"It's quite alright. I had been expecting them," the physician said, motioning for the three men to follow him to the exam room.

"Thank you," Adam said gratefully as he followed the doctor, half carrying Griff between him and Lucas. Both men had their younger companion's arms draped over their shoulders while they supported his waist.

"Alright, get him up on the table and I'll see what we have here," Dr. Grandsmithe instructed.

Adam and Lucas helped Griff to slide up onto the table and lifted his legs onto it.

Griff shivered and moaned as the cold wooden surface touched his back. An intense headache hit him and he squeezed his eyes shut to ward off the pain.

"What happened?" Grandsmithe asked as he gathered his equipment and tore open the patient's filthy shirt.

"Long story, but he's got a pretty bad cut and cracked ribs. He's also real sick," Adam supplied.

"Yes, he does have a nasty looking gash and he'll need stitches, but it definitely could've been worse. My main concern is infection and with him being ill, it's going to be a dangerous road for him, I'm afraid," Dr. Grandsmithe said. "You fellas are aware that he has yellow fever?" He looked up into each of the two men's faces in turn seeking acknowledgement.

"We gave him some of that medicine," Adam replied.

"Good, but you also know that I can't let you leave here until I'm satisfied neither of you have contracted the disease?" Grandsmithe continued.

Lucas looked surprised but Adam nodded, knowing how serious the risk of spreading the sickness meant.

"Who else has come into contact with this young man?"

"His step father, but we ain't care what happens to him, Doc!" Lucas quickly replied.

"It's not a matter what happens to _him_. It's what will happen if the infected person then comes into contact with someone else," Grandsmithe explained.

Feeling foolish, Lucas looked apologetically at Adam who placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think Charlie Jensen came into contact with anybody in town except the Sheriff," Adam revealed.

"And George," Lucas reminded.

"Who's George?" Grandsmithe asked.

"Our other companion. He's keeping an eye on Jensen," Adam said then clicked his fingers as he recalled two others who could be at risk, "Wait a minute. Candy and Jeremiah while they were at the jailhouse. There's a chance they got close enough to Griff."

"Oh deary me. Alright, let's deal with one problem at a time. Thank goodness we have medicine here," Dr. Grandsmithe sighed and carried on with examining his patient. "Now then, remind me- what's his name?"

"Griff," Adam and Candy said simultaneously.

Dr. Grandesmithe nodded shortly and turned back to his patient. "Griff?" he called, placing his hands on the prone man's neck. "Can you hear me, Griff? Griff?"

Griff flinched when Dr. Grandesmithe made contact with his skin. His eyes opened to slits and he brought a shaking hand to his temple. "M'head," he groaned. "S-so bright… Hurts m' head." He twisted his body as if the movement would eliminate the headache.

The nurse was quick to close the blinds, hoping it would bring a small comfort to the clearly suffering patient.

"Ah, a reply. I'll take it," he smiled, checking each of Griff's limbs for broken bones before inspecting his cuts. "Griff." He made sure to keep his voice deep and soft to avoid triggering more pounding pain in the youth's head. "You're a very sick man, but we're gonna help you get back on your feet, you hear?"

"We all are," Adam interjected. He stepped forward to run his fingers through Griff's wavy hair to lessen his headache. "Easy, boy, just breathe."

"Perhaps some laudanum is in order," Dr. Grandesmithe suggested, only to be instantaneously cut off by Lucas.

"No, no laudanum. No painkillers!" the ranch hand insisted.

"Yes, I remember his friend having mentioned that. Candy," he remarked. "Wonderful fellow, odd name."

"C-candy," Griff repeated in his stupor. "Candy? Candy?!" His breath quickened and he slapped away Adam's and Dr. Grandemithe's calm ministrations. "C-Candy, where are y-you?!"

"He's resting," Adam answered, working to catch Griff's flailing hands so that he would not injure himself further. "Just like you should be. Take it easy."

"Need t'find him… Charlie said…" Griff's breath hitched. "He's dead. My fault. He's dead, I'm sorry..." Griff continued to ramble, spiraling into a panic. "All m'fault."

"Griff, we need you to lie still, alright?" Adam coaxed.

"Killed him…" Griff continued to wail. "Candy, I'm s-sorry!"

Just then, the curtains in the back of the room swooshed open to reveal Candy. He leaned on the wall to keep himself upright as he stalked into the main room and approached Griff's bedside.

"Oh, Griff… Kid…" he whispered. "My God, what did he do to you?"

"Look, Griff, Candy's right here, okay?" Adam explained, hoping his presence would break through Griff's delirium. "He's alive, he's fine. Nothing's your fault. Charlie lied to you."

"Candy… Sorry…" Griff sobbed, his breathing becoming much too rapid.

"I'm here, Griff. I'm right here with you," Candy added. "Feel me squeezing your hand?"

Even with Candy holding Griff's hand and speaking to him, Griff was beyond reason. All Adam, Candy, and Lucas could do was watch helplessly.

Finally, Dr. Grandesmithe had enough. While the physician understood the men's reluctance for Griff to be given laudanum, the boy needed something to calm him as he was proving to be a difficult patient and was doing more harm to himself than good. "Hold him still. I'm going to give him a shot of morphine."

"Doc…" Adam began but his protests were cut off.

"Or would you rather use your fist to knock him out?" Grandsmithe retorted, but immediately felt badly about his harsh comment. "Sorry, but I cannot help him like this. His wound needs to be attended to before it gets infected and moving about is placing too much stress on those ribs. He's at risk of more serious complications from not breathing properly. Besides, it's going to hurt like hell when I clean out that cut and both of you have already wasted your energy! Any more objections?" Doc looked from one guilty face to the next but no one spoke as they continued to struggle with keeping Griff on the table.

"But-" Candy started to protest.

"He's right," the eldest Cartwright relented. Finally Adam gave his blessings, "Do what you gotta do, Doc." As hard as it was for him to admit that, Adam knew that Griff needed to do all he could to heal as best as possible.

"Thank you." The nurse carefully measured a vial of morphine before handing it to Dr. Grandesmithe. As gently as he could, he pressed the needle into Griff's arm.

"Hmmm…" Almost instantly, Griff's flailings slowed and weakened. Adam felt Griff go slack under his hands. He let out a breath of air he did not realize he had been holding and moved away to give Dr. Grandesmithe room to clean the wounds.

* * *

Ben stroked his chin stubble and looked at the letter he held in his hands. He had asked the telegraph office to send word if anything at all came from Billings to him. After accepting the letter with thanks, he found himself almost afraid to read the contents. Taking a deep breath, Ben finally cracked open the seal and scanning the paper.

**Griff found. **_**Stop**_**. Sick with YF and rough shape. **_**Stop. **_**C. Jensen imprisoned for kidnapping and assault. **_**Stop**_**. Candy hurt but healing. **_**Stop.**_ **Griff and Candy freed with your docs. **_**Stop**_**. Will do all we can so Griff pulls through. **_**Stop**_**. Will update you post-haste. ~A.C.**

A whirlwind of emotions overtook Ben as he made his way through the letter. So many questions bubbled up in his head. What did "rough shape" mean? Why was Candy hurt? What did Charlie Jensen have to do with all of this?

Rather than stew and worry by himself, Ben climbed the stairs to share this new information with Joe.

* * *

Charlie Jensen lay moaning and groaning on the cot in his cell.

"Will you quit your belly-achin'? You're giving me a headache!" Monaghan reprimanded from his desk.

"I'm dyin', Sheriff! Where's the doc!? My leg is killing me! I need morphine!" Jensen whined. "Or at least some whiskey!"

George leaned against Monaghan's desk, blowing into a harmonica he had found on the desk. "All that wailing sure is interfering with my song!" he mocked.

"You're not dyin, Jensen'! I told ya, it's just a flesh wound. There ain't nothin' Doc can do for you that I haven't already done," Monaghan barked impatiently, as he continued to polish his pistol.

"Any requests, Sheriff?" George gleefully asked as he set Charlie's moaning to music.


	24. Chapter 24

**Thanks for the continued support of our readers, reviewers, and alerters! Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 24:**

Doc Grandsmithe had done all he could for his young and difficult patient as he washed his hands and packed his bag, ready to make a house call at the town's jailhouse. He made sure he packed enough medicine for yellow fever to treat Jensen, George, and the Sheriff.

"Hello, Doc," Sheriff Monaghan greeted, tipping his hat as he invited Doctor Grandesmithe into the jailhouse. George stopped playing mid-note and waved to the doctor. "He's real mean and ornery cuss. I'm going to be watching Jensen like a hawk when you treat him."

"Much obliged, Sheriff," the elder man smiled. "But before I get to him, I'd like to give you and George a quick exam first. You're aware that Griff King does have a serious case of Yellow Fever?"

Sheriff Monaghan and George nodded and allowed the caring doctor to check them head to toe for any signs of the illness. Finally, satisfied that neither had contracted yellow fever, he offered them a preventative dosage of antitoxin and requested either man stop by his office if they began to feel anything at all.

"Now onto Charlie," the doctor announced. "Sheriff, you'd like to accompany me in the cell with him."

"Sure would," Monaghan confirmed. "George, do you mind staying outside the cell to keep an extra set of eyes on us? After that, your duty as deputy is done. I know you're probably itching to go see Griff, ain't ya?"

"I am, Sheriff," George responded. "But I'm happy to act as your deputy one more time before I do."

* * *

Night fell over Billings and Dr. Grandsmithe shut his practice. Thankfully his only patient left that day was fast asleep, as were the young man's loyal companions who had found various places to rest in. He noted George and Lucas had decided to rest on their bed rolls on the floor while Adam fell asleep in the armchair. Slowly, he made his way into the back of his office where another man was recuperating on the bed.

Candy stirred and opened his eyes. "Doc?"

"Yes, it's me," Grandsmithe whispered. He sat on the edge of the bed and felt for the pulse at Candy's wrist, counting silently before he let go of Candy's arms.

"How is Griff?" Candy slurred.

"About the same as the last time you asked. He's sound asleep, as should you be," Doc admonished gently.

Candy sighed heavily. "How soon can we ride home?"

"Not for at least a week, I imagine. Your friend is very sick. Even so, the ride will be difficult and slow going for him, especially without anything to numb the pain that he will endure sitting in that saddle. I'm sure in your line of work you would be familiar with the discomfort that cracked ribs can bring without appropriate care," the physician replied.

Candy nodded guiltily. "Don't I know it, Doc. We'll go as slow as it takes to make it easier for him. I know it's going to be tough, but the kid's not gonna wait any longer to get out of this town. No offense."

"None taken," Doc assured. "Billings is a fine place to live. I know it's not for everyone, but it's home to a lot of people."

"Certainly not for Griff," Candy sighed.

"Yes, I suppose his being born and raised here ain't enough for him to call Billings home. It's a shame," the doctor mused. "He seems a decent fellow."

"He sure is," confirmed Candy. "He gave up his freedom, something that means so much to him, that he's waited so long for, treasures so much…" Candy swallowed. "He might've saved a lot of people in Virginia City."

"Oh, absolutely," agreed Doctor Grandesmithe. "Yellow Fever is an extremely contagious disease and without medicine, it is usually fatal. But I'm not surprised Griff did what he did."

Candy's eyebrows raised in confusion, prompting the doctor to explain his cryptic comment.

"A man will do anything to protect the people he calls family, the place he calls home." Dr. Grandesmithe fixed Candy's pillow so that his head was slightly more elevated and comfortable. "Now, I say we continue this conversation in the morning. You need your rest, or you won't be any good to Griff, you hear?"

"I hear," Candy answered. "G'night, Doc."

Even though Candy's body lay still, his mind repeated over and over again what Dr. Grandesmithe had intuited after barely knowing him.

Griff considered Virginia City his home, not Billings.

Although Candy had loved living with his father at a variety of army compounds as a child, a part of him had always envied children who were able to have a permanent home. They always had a stable place they called home. The idea of designating a place home was forgien to Candy, but the more he thought about it, the more he liked it.

* * *

Candy's sleep was riddled with nightmares about a drunken Charlie, which morphed into a graveyard where he found the Cartwrights' headstones engraved with cause of death to be Yellow Fever. Finally, the nightmares brought him images of Griff waking up in the middle of the night and running out into the street begging to be released from jail. The sound of his best friend's distressed voice seemed too real that he woke up with a start to the first rays of sunshine streaming in through the curtain gaps. The voices faded out like a distant memory but it didn't make him feel less uneasy. No, he needed to check on Griff and make sure the images were really just a bad dream.

A shooting pain hammered through his skull and dizziness washed over him as Candy tried to scramble out of bed far too quickly. Grabbing his head in both hands, he stayed seated in the edge of the bed for a moment or two before rising to his feet. Using the walls for support, Candy searched the rooms for the young man. It didn't take too many guesses to find him and only then did he feel relief wash over him kike a tidal wave. Griff lay beneath the blankets on a bed in one of the rooms, resting peacefully.

Candy slowly walked over to a chair opposite the bed and carefully lowered himself in it. He didn't even realize it when sleep claimed him once more but this time, his consciousness was free from the nightmares that had plagued him during the night.


	25. Chapter 25

**Thanks, readers, for your support of our story!**

**Chapter 25**

It wasn't until early morning that Griff began to make his way back to awareness. He breathed as deeply as his healing ribs would allow them and stared at the beige ceiling above him, wondering where he was. After a moment, he tilted his head to look forward and recognized enough objects to come to the conclusion that he was in a doctor's office. The sick man went to move his hand to from out under the covers only to find a weight pinned it in place.

"Candy?" Griff gasped, grasping Candy's hand tightly. "Candy!"

Startled out of his sleep, Candy flinched awake. "Griff, hey, Griff, you awake?" he whispered harshly.

"Candy," Griff repeated, becoming more and more distraught. "Candy, I thought… He said you were, w-were…"

"Charlie lied," Candy quickly answered. "He lied to you. I'm here, right here, buddy." He shifted from his chair to the side of Griff's bed. "I promise, I'm alive."

"It's really you?" Griff slurred.

"In the flesh," Candy smiled. "How are you feeling?"

Images and bits of conversation from the past few days swirled around in Griff's mind. Adam, the sheriff, Lucas all telling him to put down a gun. _Gun, what gun?_ Charlie dragging him around out of a cell. _Cell!? Was I in jail?_ Feeling hot, cold, hot, cold…

"Griff?" Candy patted his friend's face when Griff took on a dazed look and began to breathe quicker.

"I had...I was...I was holding a gun! Candy, they're gonna lock me away. I gotta... I gotta," Griff spluttered. He pushed the blanket off and struggled to get out of bed but a sharp pain flared across his midsection and Candy's restraining hands were planted on his shoulders.

"Griff! Just calm down, alright. No one's gonna lock you up. You gotta believe me, buddy," Candy promised.

Griff locked eyes with Candy and knew his friend was telling him the truth. He stopped his struggles but the pain didn't dissipate. Looking down, he realized he was shirtless and his bare chest was mottled with angry bruises. A bandage was wrapped around his waist.

"Charlie did a number on you," Candy said as if by way of explaining without the details. "He's sitting in jail paying for it like he should have a long time ago."

"Charlie's in jail," Griff repeated. The thought of it was too good to be true.

"Oh, Sheriff Monaghan made sure of that," Candy explained. "And depending on what a judge says, prison might be his next stop."

"And what about my parole?" Griff added quickly.

"Nothing's changed. You're still gonna do your time on the Ponderosa, once you're fit enough to travel," Candy reassured.

"How soon can I ride?" Griff asked anxiously as he lay back down against the pillows.

"When Doc says you're ready," Candy answered.

"I'm ready," Griff insisted.

Candy shook his head. "You won't stay on the saddle long enough to even get through Billings."

"Strap me to the saddle, tie me to my horse, anything, Candy! I can't stay here another day!" Griff persisted. He started to rise again and cried out as the pain intensified. He clutched his bandaged stomach and fell back against the pillows, breathing unsteadily.

"Hey, easy now. You're not goin' anywhere like this. You'll never make it back," Candy said firmly. "I think we better let the Doc take a look at your stitches."

"Stitches?" Griff said weakly.

"You got cut pretty bad," Candy revealed. He picked up the cloth on the nightstand and gently wiped the sweat that had broken out on his young friend's face. "At least your fever broke. That's a good sign."

"Fever? Oh, right. The yellowjack." He shifted himself so he was sitting up in bed, but even that small movement took his breath away for a moment. "I got it, don't I? That's why I was so miserable in the cell. Well, extra miserable."

Candy nodded slowly. "But we already got you on some of that medicine and you're doing real good so far."

Griff extended his hand and traced his fingers along a healing wound at his hairline. "Charlie did hurt you," he remarked sadly.

The foreman pushed away Griff's prodding hand. "It's nothing," he deflected. "I'm fine."

"Well, the latter is true," Adam Cartwright interjected as he stepped into the small room and took Candy's seat. "But the former is a lie. Candy's just got a hard head." He winked at Candy before turning to Griff. "How are you feeling, buddy?"

"Good enough to go back home," Griff reported, trying and failing to suppress a cough. "I'd give anything to see the Ponderosa, and get out of here. Let's just go, Adam." The twenty year old clutched his ribs with his left hand and rubbed his eyes with his right.

"The painkiller is probably wearing off," Adam noted.

"Painkiller?" He swiveled his head from Adam to Candy. "You let him give me something?" he gaped. "What was it, morphine? Laudanum?"

"Griff, please," Candy hushed. "It was morphine, and only because we didn't want to risk you hurting yourself. Between the illness and those injuries…" Candy's breath hitched. "It was touch and go for you. And we had to sit by and watch you struggle. We couldn't do it any longer, got it?"

"Fine." Griff swallowed nervously. "But no more," he relented. "One shot is probably plenty to get me home anyway."

Doc Grandsmithe poked his head in through the door and chimed into the conversation, "Griff, if you are concerned with the effects of laudanum, perhaps I can help you."

"How?" Griff inquired sceptically.

"I can give you a shot of morphine before you leave and I'll give Candy enough laudanum for you to take in small doses. They'll be small enough for you to still feel uncomfortable but they will help you manage through the pain until you arrive at your destination," Doc explained. "The side effects will be minimal."

"No, I can manage. I've been through worse in prison," Griff adamantly refused.

Doc Grandsmithe sighed heavily. The boy was as stubborn as a mule but maybe he could persuade his wiser friend, Candy, to take a bottle along. Besides, he may need them for himself anyhow to quell the headaches.

Candy shared the physician's frustrations and thought along the same lines of seeing him in secret later on and accepting some medication for the long road home.

"What about the medicine?" Griff was relieved when he managed to change the subject. "Did Lucas make it back in time?"

"He did," Adam confirmed. "And I'm sure by the time we get back, Pa and Joe will be feeling good as new." He handed Griff the glass of water sitting on the nightstand. "That was a mighty big risk you took holding up the pharmacy like that, Griff."

"Couldn't see any way around it," Griff replied honestly, handing the empty glass back to Adam. "I know the people here, how they are. Me bein' me, Candy and Lucas bein' strangers... There was no way we was leaving with that medicine."

"It was very brave," added Candy. "Maybe a little stupid, but very brave."

"How could I let yellow fever take over Virginia City like that?" Griff felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought. "It's my home."

Adam and Candy exchanged a look of pride and comfort hearing Griff being able to call the Ponderosa home when it wasn't so long ago that he had seen it as a prison. Maybe not the kind of prison he was used to but a prison nonetheless. Perhaps, finally, the young man can start leaving his past behind him and move on with his life. A life free from fear and abuse. A life free from Charlie's fists and boots.


	26. Chapter 26

**Thanks to the continuous support, readers! We appreciate you all, especially those who take the time to review. 3 Hard to believe that after this chapter, there is only one more left in this story...**

* * *

**Chapter 26:**

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Jeremiah sighed as he hoisted Ruby from the ground into the back of the wagon. "This money is too much, Adam. We can't thank you enough for all your help."

"We could say the same to you," Adam reciprocated, shaking Jeremiah's hand. "That should be more than enough to get you to Salt Lake City comfortably."

"I'll be sure to contact this man for the job," Jeremiah promised, patting the piece of paper with contact information for an employer in his pocket.

"Good, good. My father will let Jim know to expect you soon."

"That thank you goes double for me," Griff said as he slowly approached the wagon. "From getting me out of jail to taking care of my horse. We wouldn't be here without you." He waved to Ruby, who looked much more chipper and excited than he had ever seen. "Especially me."

"Goodbye, Griff!" she beamed. "I'll miss you!"

"As will I," said Maria. "Ruby, we will have to keep in touch with our friends by writing letters."

Jeremiah climbed onto the driver's seat of the wagon and flicked the reins. The family continued on their journey, listening to the encouraging words and goodbyes from their new friends until they could hear them no more.

"Well, I reckon we're next to go," Lucas said, tying his saddle cinch securely. "Everybody ready?"

"More than ready," Candy and Griff answered in unison.

"Hard to believe we'll be home soon," beamed Griff. "That beautiful land, Hop Sing's hotcakes, I even miss chopping wood!"

"I know you're chomping at the bit to get to the Ponderosa, and I don't blame you one bit." Candy straightened his hat. "But we are going as slow as we need to with your condition, you hear? No bustin' out of the gate and racing home on your big, ornery mule here."

Griff scratched Thunder's neck and grinned. "You're not ornery," he comforted. "Just spirited."

"Oh, is that what you call it?" Adam commented sarcastically as he prepared Sport for the journey.

Thunder gave a snort as if he understood the banter was all about him.

Adam looked back and caught Thunder giving him the eye before the big horse bowed its head to drink from the trough. Shaking his head, Adam returned his attention to Sport.

* * *

Sheriff Monaghan escorted George towards his friends from the steps of the jailhouse. "George, you were the best deputy that Billings has ever seen since, well…," unable to say the name of another fine deputy he had lost, Monaghan paused before continuing,"someone else I once knew. That badge will always be there for you, should you want it. I'd be proud to have you wear it."

George shook hands with Monaghan."That's mighty decent of you to say, Sheriff."

"I meant it," Monaghan reinforced.

"Thank you," George said proudly.

"You best get goin'. They're waitin' fer ya." Monaghan noted as he shook his new friend's hand. "Oh, King, err, uhh, Griff," the sheriff addressed. "I'm sorry for what happened to you during your stay in Billings. "Now and all those years ago. Rest assured I'll see that justice done with your father." He extended his hand tentatively.

"Step father," Griff corrected with a little more edge than he intended. "Thank you, Sheriff. For all your help, even if it took a while. I know I didn't make anything easy on you." Griff accepted the Sheriff's hand and shook genuinely. "I appreciate not having to stay to testify, and I hope Charlie gets what he deserves."

"It should be years before he sees the outside world again," Monaghan confirmed. "I only wish we could've found the Toliver gang, too. And I hope that, maybe someday, you chose to visit Billings again."

Griff straightened his shoulders to look Sheriff Monaghan in the eyes. "No man knows what the future brings, so maybe someday I'll end up here again." He looked around at the town before slowly hoisting himself up onto his horse. "But right now, I doubt it. I just want to go home."

"Let's get a move on then," Candy encouraged. "Because there's no way we're hurrying. Remember, the only reason we're leaving today is because you promised-"

"To go slow and take plenty of breaks," Griff finished mockingly. "I know."

After saying their last goodbyes, Griff, Candy, Lucas, and George started out on their journey to go home.


	27. Chapter 27

**Thank you to our wonderful readers for sticking with our story. We so appreciate your continuous support. 3 We say goodbye for now, just until the next story. Until then, here is the long-awaited conclusion to _Going Home_.**

* * *

**Epilogue**

Life seemed to return to normal on the big ranch and in Virginia City itself. With no more signs of new casualties to Yellow Fever, the town was put at ease and Doc Martin's practice found some relief.

On the Ponderosa, the timely return of Hoss and Jamie from their trip to San Francisco meant Hop Sing's workload increased and so did the noise level that came with the excitement of sharing their experience.

On the night before Adam's departure to sea, Hop Sing prepared a special feast in honour of Ben Cartwright's eldest son. When everyone had had their fill, Adam called for attention, tapping his spoon on the wine glass. "I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for coming tonight and to Hop Sing for his talents in the kitchen." Adam carried through with the rest of his speech uninterrupted until finally he concluded with an announcement, "Oh and lastly, I'd like call for everyone to gather around the fire. I have something special to show all of you."

The small crowd rose to their feet and followed Adam. Curious murmurs began as they wondered what it could be.

Candy turned to look at Lucas and asked, "Where's Griff?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and peered around him but Candy was right. There was no sign of the young man. "I don't see him."

"Look harder," Adam teased, pointing to the top of the stairs.

Griff emerged from the stair balcony. He held Adam's guitar to his ear, tuning each string one last time before he began to strum a light, familiar melody. He sang along:

_My Bonnie lies over the ocean_

_My Bonnie lies over the sea_

_My Bonnie lies over the ocean_

_Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me..._

_Bring back, bring back_

_Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me_

_Bring back, bring back_

_Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me_

After Griff finished, he took a small bow and gestured toward Adam. The partygoers whooped and clapped to show their appreciation for the surprise performance. "This is really Adam's doing," he explained. "He taught me everything."

"Golly!" Joe beamed. "That was some great playing, Griff."

"Yeah," added Candy. "Who knew you had it in you? I was just about ready to stuff my ears full of corn when you practice!"

"I oughta whoop you, Candy!" Griff threatened playfully.

The rest of the evening was spent with the majority of the guests taking turns in playing a tune or singing while others danced and laughed. It also carried with it a sense of belonging for Griff and for the first time in his life he felt he found a place to call home.

When the last of the guests bade the Cartwright household a good night, Adam followed Griff as the ranch hand headed to the bunkhouse. Lucas and George allowed the two men to have a private moment and continued without their friend.

"That really was some playing you did tonight. You've certainly come a long way!" Adam complimented when he caught up with the younger man.

"You weren't so bad yourself," Griff joked. "I have you to thank, Adam. Not just the guitar lessons but…"

"The singin'?" Adam filled in when he noticed Griff had stopped talking.

"Yes, the singing too. No, what I wanted to say is, thank you for giving me a chance," Griff finally managed to say the words he had longed to say.

"It was the least I could do. I really should've done it the day we first met. Instead I judged you unfairly," Adam confessed apologetically.

"That's all a part of my past. All that matters to me is where we go from here," Griff replied.

"Wise words," Adam said with a smile.

"Candy taught me that," Griff laughed. "Only, I never really understood what he meant. I guess now I do. I'm ready to move on. I'm tired of living in the past."

Adam nodded, his face lit up with the pride he felt for Griff. "Listen, there's something I want you to have." He lifted up the guitar he held in his hand and passed it to the young man.

"No, I couldn't, Adam!" Griff refused gently, backing away.

"Please, it'd be a dishonor for you not to accept my parting gift," Adam winked.

"Well, if you put it that, I guess," Griff smirked and accepted the wooden instrument.

"Besides, you're getting rather good. I expect you to be better than me when I next visit," Adam said.

"Thank you, Adam," Griff replied. He lightly traced the pattern of the wood with his fingers and stared intently at the musical instrument. "Adam, I hope you don't take this the wrong way or anything, but we're friends, and… Well, sometimes friends gotta set each other straight." He raised his head so he could lock eyes with Adam. "Are you sure you want to leave? This is your home. The ranch needs you. Your brothers and your father- they need you. I-" He cleared his throat, opting to stop himself before stating, 'I need you," even though Griff knew that statement was true. "How could you have all this and choose to leave? What's out there that's so great?"

Adam took a moment to think about what Griff was saying before he answered, "Griff, your words mean a lot to me. They really do, but you don't need me and neither does Joe or Hoss or Jamie or Pa. You all have each other. The ranch has done fine without me and that won't change by me leaving again. As for me, I need something else. I already have my family here to come home to, but there's so much more out there than ranch life. I haven't found what I'm looking for yet, but whatever it is I want to give it a shot."

While Griff listened, he still couldn't quite understand what it is was that Adam was searching for but he respected his decision. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Adam."

Adam nodded. "I hope you will too."

Griff's face broke into a lopsided grin. "I think I already did." He wasn't sure who was more surprised to hear the simple, yet true statement- Adam or himself. "Goodnight and good luck," he said, enveloping Adam in a farewell hug. After a moment, the two broke contact. Griff reluctantly turned away, starting towards the bunkhouse.

Adam smiled to himself and watched Griff disappear behind the wooden doors before he too decided to call it a night. Heading back to the main house, he felt the warmth radiating from it that had nothing to do with the flames dancing in the fireplace inside. It was the feeling of love and belonging. The feeling of having a place to go to when his heart filled with sorrow or loneliness. And when he ventured too long and far, he would picture this house with all the people he loved inside. Adam could feel in his heart that soon enough, it would be time for him to go home, too.

**The End**


End file.
